19 killed after gravel-laden lorry rams into govt bus in Telangana

At least 19 persons, including a 41-day-old girl child, were killed and 22 others injured when a gravel-laden tipper lorry collided head-on with a government bus in Ranga Reddy district of Telangana on Monday.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced a compensation of Rs 2 lakh to the families of those who died and Rs 50,000 each to the injured.

The lorry collided with the bus near Chevella, about 50 km from Hyderabad, around 7 am, resulting in the gravel falling on the bus, burying the passengers and causing deaths due to suffocation and trauma, among others.

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

The tipper, loaded with gravel and hard stone chips, lost control while overtaking multiple vehicles, veering directly into the path of the oncoming bus. The impact caused extensive damage to the bus.

This led to passengers being trapped, resulting in severe breathing difficulties, multiple injuries and fatalities due to suffocation and trauma, it said.

Based on the preliminary inquiry, there was no fault with both the condition of the bus, a hired vehicle, and the driver of the bus. It had fitness and valid insurance certification.

“The accident took place because of overspeeding of the heavily loaded gravel tipper which fell onto the bus after its driver lost control of the vehicle,” the release said.

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

State minister Prabhakar said 72 people were travelling in the ill-fated bus, which was proceeding to Hyderabad from Tandur in Ranga Reddy district.

The Transport Minister said the state government would offer Rs 5 lakh each to the kin of the deceased in addition to Rs 2 lakh from the Telangana State Road Transport Corporation. The injured would get Rs 2 lakh each.

Three sisters of a family from Tandur — Tanusha, Saipriya and Nandini — were among the deceased.

Similarly, three generations of a family perished in the accident, an acquaintance said.

According to Sheikh Amer, his friend’s wife Saleha Begum (19), her father Sheikh Khalid Hussain (50) and her 41 day-old baby girl, Zahera Fathima, all three of whom were travelling to Hyderabad, died in the mishap.