In a tragic road accident early Monday morning, at least 19 people were killed and four others sustained injuries when a gravel-laden tipper lorry collided head-on with a Telangana State Road Transport Corporation (TSRTC) bus near Chevella in Telangana’s Ranga Reddy district, police said.
According to officials, the impact of the collision caused the gravel to fall over the bus, trapping several passengers inside the mangled vehicle. Among the deceased were 10 women, and the bus driver, who was operating the vehicle from Tandur to Hyderabad, also lost his life in the crash.
“The total number of passengers in the bus could not be ascertained immediately,” a senior police officer said, adding that the injured survivors were in a state of shock and unable to give details.
Rescue teams rushed to the spot soon after the accident and used earthmovers to carry out relief operations, pulling out trapped passengers from the wreckage. The injured were shifted to nearby hospitals for emergency treatment.
Expressing deep sorrow over the incident, Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy directed Chief Secretary K. Ramakrishna Rao and DGP Shivadhar Reddy to oversee relief and rescue operations on a war footing. The Chief Minister also instructed cabinet ministers to reach the accident site and ensure immediate assistance to the victims.
He further ordered that the injured passengers be shifted to Hyderabad for advanced medical care and assured that the government would provide all possible support to the affected families. This tragic event highlights the need for stricter road safety measures, especially concerning public transport and heavy vehicles.
The Telangana government has promised to investigate the cause of the accident and implement measures to prevent such incidents in the future. Traffic experts urge that more robust regulations are necessary to ensure user safety on the roads.
Officials are expected to release more details as the investigation unfolds and victims’ families await clarity on the circumstances surrounding this horrific accident.
