Telangana: 20 killed as truck rams into bus near Hyderabad
At least 20 people were killed and eight others injured after a truck carrying gravel collided head-on with a Telangana State Road Transport Corporation (RTC) bus near Chevella in Vikarabad district early Monday morning.
The bus, travelling from Tandur to Chevella with around 40 passengers, was hit by the speeding truck on the state highway near the outskirts of Hyderabad around 7:30 AM.
According to the Hyderabad Police, the truck driver was among the dead, along with eight passengers who died on the spot. The bus driver, the woman conductor, and several others were taken to a hospital with injuries.
Chief Minister Revanth Reddy expressed deep grief over the tragic accident and directed officials to immediately reach the site and carry out necessary relief and rescue operations.
He instructed the District Collector, local MLAs, and Transport Minister Ponnam Prabhakar to visit the accident site and oversee the relief measures.
Extending his condolences, the Chief Minister said that the government was taking war-footing measures to ensure better medical assistance for the injured and had spoken with the State Chief Secretary and the DGP regarding the situation.
Reddy also instructed that the injured be shifted to Hyderabad for advanced treatment and directed officials to provide regular updates on the relief efforts and the condition of the victims.
Telangana IT and Industries Minister Duddilla Sridhar Babu, who is also the in-charge minister for Ranga Reddy district, expressed deep shock and grief over the tragedy.
He said he had immediately alerted the district collector, police, and senior officials to oversee rescue and relief operations.
The minister has sought a detailed report on the cause of the accident and the condition of the injured. He also directed the Medical and Health Department to ensure the best possible treatment for the victims at the Chevella Government Hospital.
During a teleconference with officials, Sridhar Babu reviewed the ongoing rescue efforts and instructed them to personally supervise relief operations and keep victims’ families informed.
Authorities later clarified that the bus was hired from a private vendor through a tender process, with only the conductor provided by the RTC, while the driver was employed by the private contractor.
