At least 20 people have been killed and several others injured in a devastating road accident in India’s Telangana state. The accident took place on Sunday (November 3) morning on the Hyderabad–Bijapur highway in Ranga Reddy district. According to police, a Telangana State Road Transport Corporation (TSRTC) passenger bus carrying about 70 passengers was traveling from Tandur in Vikarabad district to Hyderabad when it collided head-on with a truck loaded with stones coming from the opposite direction.

The impact of the collision was so severe that the stones and gravel from the truck burst into the bus, crushing many passengers to death. Among the dead were a 10-month-old infant, 10 women, and both drivers of the bus and truck. The injured were taken to a nearby government hospital, where several are reported to be in critical condition.

Eyewitnesses described the scene as “heart-wrenching.” Many trapped passengers screamed for help as they were crushed under the debris. Rescue workers had to cut parts of the bus to recover bodies and rescue the injured. Passengers seated in the six rows behind the driver’s cabin suffered the most casualties, with most dying on the spot.

Telangana Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy expressed deep sorrow over the tragedy and directed officials to immediately reach the site and assist in rescue and relief operations.

State Transport Minister Ponnam Prabhakar spoke with TSRTC Managing Director Y. Nagireddy to determine the cause of the crash and instructed the Ranga Reddy district administration to ensure proper treatment for the injured.

K.T. Rama Rao, Working President of the opposition Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS), conveyed his condolences to the victims’ families. He urged the government to provide immediate financial aid and the best possible medical treatment for the injured, and called for a full-scale investigation into the cause of the accident.

Source: NDTV