15 Hurt As RTC Bus Overturns Near Kondapi

Nellore: A major tragedy was averted after an APSRTC Palle Velugu bus overturned near a shrimp processing factory between Kondapi and Madduluru villages in Prakasam district on Saturday.

The bus, travelling from Ongole to Kamepalli, was carrying more than 40 passengers when it reportedly veered off the road and overturned into a nearby agricultural field. Preliminary information suggests that the narrow road shoulder caused the vehicle to tilt before it lost balance.

More than 15 passengers sustained minor injuries and were shifted to the Government Hospital at Kondapi for treatment. The driver and conductor suffered serious injuries and were referred to RIMS Hospital, Ongole, for advanced treatment.

Rescue personnel used a JCB machine to remove the overturned bus and restore traffic on the route.

After receiving information about the accident, social welfare minister Dr Dola Sree Bala Veeranjaneya Swamy spoke to officials and directed them to ensure the best possible treatment for the injured. He later visited RIMS Hospital in Ongole along with Ongole MLA Damacharla Janardhan and Maritime Board chairman Damacharla Satya.

Transport minister Mandipalli Ramprasad Reddy also reviewed the situation by speaking to RTC and district officials over the phone. He directed them to provide immediate medical assistance to all the injured, with special attention to the seriously injured conductor.

The minister also instructed officials to ensure that all necessary medical facilities are provided to the injured passengers, including schoolchildren travelling on the bus.

He ordered a comprehensive inquiry into the cause of the accident and directed officials to strengthen road safety measures to prevent similar incidents in future.