19 people die in gruesome bus accident in Telangana

Nineteen people, including a 10-month-old infant, lost their lives when a gravel-carrying tipper collided head-on with a Hyderabad-bound state-run bus from Tandur on the Hyderabad-Bijapur National Highway in Telangana on Monday.

The majority of the victims were women, including college students, police said.

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Although a busy road, this was a narrow stretch, and the local MLA blamed environmental activists for stalling the road-widening project due to a row of more than 100-year-old banyan trees.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced ex gratia of Rs 2 lakh from the Prime Minister’s National Relief Fund to the next of kin of the dead, while the state government has announced Rs 7 lakh for the victims.

The accident took place at 6:15 am near Indirareddy Nagar, and the tipper, overloaded with gravel, was going from Shadnagar to Vikarabad’s Chittampalli Gate. The bus carried around 70 passengers.

According to eyewitnesses, “the tipper was travelling at a high speed, overtaking several vehicles, and suddenly steered to the right, colliding head-on with the RTC bus coming from the opposite direction.”

Both drivers were killed in the collision along with 17 passengers. The bus was carrying 72 passengers at the time of the accident. Some of the passengers were trapped under the gravel and had to be rescued. The conductor, Radha, said at the last moment, bus driver Dastagiri veered the steering wheel and it saved her life along with those sitting on the opposite side of the driver’s seat.

Three college-going sisters died in the accident, while two children who survived the accident lost their parents.

Ordering an inquiry, Transport Minister Ponnam Prabhakar said, “Even though the vehicles had valid fitness certificates, the narrow road and lack of a divider led to the mishap.” He also advocated the use of speed locks in vehicles.

Local MLA Kale Yadaiah pointed out that the environmental activists had stalled the road-widening project over the long row of banyan trees. They had approached the National Green Tribunal. Yadaiah also faced protests over the lack of development and road safety. Others pointed out that the road was also in a poor condition and turned into a virtual death trap due to lack of maintenance.

Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy spoke to the chief secretary and DGP after the horrifying accident and directed them to make all possible efforts to save the injured, deploy ambulances, medical staff and providE other emergency medical assistance.