Hyderabad: Eleven persons were killed in a major accident that was triggered by an RTC bus attempting to overtake a lorry through the wrong side on the Rajiv Rahadari highway in Chief Minister K. Chandrashekar Rao’s constituency Gajwel.
“The accident was a result of his rash and negligent driving. He tested negative for drunk driving,” Siddipet ACP Rameshwar said.
The traffic on both sides of the highway came to a standstill for close to two hours, and officials secured heavy machinery from the nearby Gajwel ORR sites to tow away the damaged vehicles and clear the roads.
The victims in the SUV were identified as Lakshman, 35, a reporter for a Telugu daily, his wife Pushpa, 30, their kids Akash, 10, Niharika, 9, Vijaya, 6, and his parents Mallesham, 60, and Gaddemma 55, and their relative Omkar, 11.
The three victims in the bus were Rahul, Sai Nikhil and Sindhuja.
The bus (TS 19Z 0012) belonging to Mancherial depot was a Rajadhani AC bus and had started from Hyderabad with around 30 passengers for Mancherial. The accident occurred near Rimmannaguda village located near the Gajwel outer ring road.
Police said the occupants of the car had gone to a pilgrimage to Vemulawada and Komuravelli temples are were returning to Jinnaram in Medak district. Out of around 14 passengers in the SUV, eight died, while others received injuries.
The spot depicted a gory scene with scattered bodies and blood spilled on both sides of the busy highway.
TSRTC Chairman Somarapu Satyanarayana said an internal inquiry is ordered into the incident.
He stated that when the bus driver tried to overtake the truck from the left, the truck driver swerved towards left and hit the bus.
“The bus driver in an attempt to save the passengers swerved the vehicle, but lost control and toppled the bus.”
