Hyderabad, 3 Nov

19 people, including 13 women and a girl child, were killed and 22 others suffered injuries when a tipper lorry carrying gravel collided head-on with a public transport bus in Rangareddy district of Telangana on Monday, officials said.

The tipper collided with the Telangana Road Transport Corporation (RTC) vehicle near Chevella, about 50 kms from Hyderabad, on Monday morning, resulting in the gravel falling on the bus.

A district official said 22 people suffered injuries in the mishap.

Cyberabad Police Commissioner Avinash Mohanty said the drivers of both vehicles died in the accident.

Noting that a head-on collision occurs when one of the vehicles is on the wrong side, he said the cause of the accident would be known after the inquiry.

With the gravel falling on the bus, several passengers gottrapped inside the vehicle and officials carried out relief measures using earthmovers.

The passengers of the bus were brought out of it, a police official said.

In a post on X, Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed grief over the loss of lives in the accident.

He announced a compensation of Rs two lakhs to the families of those who died, and Rs 50,000 each to the injured.

“I extend my deepest condolences to the affected individuals and their family members during this difficult time. I pray that the injured recover quickly," he said.

Telangana Transport Minister Ponnam Prabhakar, who visited the government hospital at Chevella, where the accident victims were admitted, said, "19 people were killed in the accident".

He said 72 people were in the ill-fated bus, which was proceeding to Hyderabad from Tandur in Ranga Reddy district early Monday morning.

Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy held a tele-conference with ministers and officials on the accident.

The government would ensure advanced medical care to the injured and also assist the families of the deceased in conducting funerals, he said.

The government has ordered an inquiry into the incident.

The Transport Minister also said the state government would offer Rs 5 lakh each to the kin of the deceased in addition to Rs 2 lakh from TGSRTC.

The government would also provide Rs 2 lakh each to the injured.

Soon after coming to know of the mishap, the Chief Minister instructed officials to take up relief measures on a war footing.

He also told ministers and officials to undertake relief measures, including providing compensation to the families of the deceased, in addition to the insurance provided by the RTC, an official release said.

Recalling the horrific incident, a survivor said he was dozing in the bus when a loud thud jolted him awake, leaving him half-buried in gravel.

“Several people were buried under the gravel. The tipper lorry came from the opposite direction. I was seated on the left side of the bus. We managed to climb out, but those who were sitting behind the driver couldn’t make it — some of them died. I was seated three rows behind the conductor,” he told mediapersons.

He further said he opened a window and escaped, with six others following.

Later, another person broke the window panes to free more passengers.

A doctor at the government hospital in Chevella said the accident victims suffered fractures, facial, abdominal and leg injuries.

The injured were undergoing treatment, including administration of IV fluid, TT injections and referred to major state-run hospitals in Hyderabad.

According to TV visuals, half the bus was filled with gravel, trapping passengers inside.

The authorities deployed heavy earth-moving equipment to clear the wreckage of the ill-fated bus.

Meanwhile, Chevella MLA Kale Yadaiah attributed the accident near Chevella to the narrowness of the road.

Chevella Inspector Sridhar sustained minor injuries during a rescue operation after an excavator ran over his leg, a police official said.

Telangana Governor Jishnu Dev Varma, Union Ministers G Kishan Reddy and Bandi Sanjay Kumar, state BJP president N Ramchander Rao, BRS Working President K T Rama Rao and several other leaders expressed sadness over the loss of lives in the accident.