Telangana bus-lorry collision: At least 24 people were killed and several others injured when a gravel-laden lorry collided head-on with a Telangana Road Transport Corporation (RTC) bus in Ranga Reddy district on Monday morning.
The horrific accident occurred near the Mirzaguda village in Chevella mandal, when the bus from Tandur to Hyderabad, carrying around 70 passengers, was struck by a speeding lorry coming from the opposite direction.
According to police, the impact was so powerful that the lorry’s gravel load collapsed onto the bus, trapping passengers under the debris.
Eyewitnesses described heart-rending scenes of passengers screaming for help as locals rushed to pull them out.
“There was chaos everywhere. People were trapped and crying inside the crushed bus,” an eyewitness from Mirzaguda was quoted by local media as saying.
Among the deceased were drivers of both the bus and the lorry, several women, and a ten-month-old infant with its mother, the police said.
Massive Rescue Operation Launched
Emergency response teams reached the site within minutes. Using three JCB excavators, rescue workers and police cleared the mangled remains of the bus to retrieve bodies and survivors.
Chevella Circle Inspector Bhupal Sridhar sustained injuries during the operation after being struck by a JCB and was shifted to hospital.
Officials confirmed that 15 passengers, including the bus conductor Radha, were rescued alive.
The injured were rushed to the Chevella Government Hospital, and those in critical condition were shifted to Hyderabad for advanced medical care.
CM Revanth Reddy Orders Relief and Probe
Telangana Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy expressed deep shock over the tragedy and ordered immediate rescue and relief measures. “All injured must be shifted to Hyderabad without delay for the best medical treatment,” Reddy said.
In a telephonic review with Chief Secretary K Ramakrishna Rao and DGP B Shivadhar Reddy, the Chief Minister directed that all government departments be mobilized for emergency support. He instructed senior ministers and district officials to personally oversee rescue efforts.
An official statement said: “District authorities have been ordered to intensify relief efforts and ensure all necessary arrangements are made on a war footing.”
The crash caused major traffic jams on the Hyderabad–Bijapur highway, with long queues reported across the Chevella–Vikarabad route.
Preliminary reports indicate that overspeeding and loss of control by the lorry driver may have led to the collision. Police have begun a detailed investigation into the cause.
The accident, which claimed the lives of students, daily commuters, and families returning to Hyderabad after the weekend, has sent shockwaves across the state.
Locals gathered at the site to help authorities and mourn the victims. The state transport corporation announced plans to review safety and driver fatigue protocols on busy routes.
