Visakhapatnam: A 21-year-old woman died and 18 others sustained injured as a private bus overturned on the Gaman Bridge near Rajamahendravaram. The accident occurred around 1.30 am on Thursday when a private bus en route from Visakhapatnam to Hyderabad lost control and overturned between Komthamuru and Katheeru.
The deceased has been identified as Homini Kalyani, a resident of Visakhapatnam who was traveling to Hyderabad for a job interview. She was accompanied by her sister. Of the 18 injured passengers, 10 sustained serious injuries, with five patients reported to be in critical condition.
Preliminary police investigations suggest that the bus driver was allegedly under the influence of alcohol and driving negligently at the time of the accident. Rajahmundry Three Town police have launched an investigation into the cause of the tragic incident. Most of the passengers were from Visakhapatnam, Tuni, and Annavaram, with a significant number being students. Among the five critically injured CH. Koteswara Rao, Dhanalakshmi and Renuka are undergoing treatment at the Kakinada Government Hospital, while Tejaswini and Deekshata have been shifted to KIMS Hospital.
The bus was carrying 40 passengers when the accident occurred. Local authorities, including SP Narasimha Kishore, supervised the rescue operations.
The SP, while having a conversation with the Deccan Chronicle, said that the overturned bus was removed at 1 a.m. with the help of a crane, and rescue personnel worked to free trapped passengers and confirmed that only one fatality was reported.
