6 killed, 14 injured as pvt bus rams into crash-hit truck on NH-65 | Hyderabad News

Hyderabad: Six people, including five women, were killed and 14 others injured after a private bus collided at high speed with a truck carrying massive iron poles on the Hyderabad-Vijayawada highway (NH-65) in Suryapet district early on Wednesday.The busy highway has a history of fatal accidents, with multiple reports identifying it as one of the deadliest stretches in Telangana.Wednesday’s accident occurred around 5am at Dorakunta in Kodad when the private bus, operated by Fresh Bus, and ferrying 42 passengers, rammed into the stationary truck that had been involved in an accident earlier.The bus was travelling from Hyderabad to Eluru in Andhra Pradesh, when the accident occurred.“The truck that was going towards Vijayawada from Suryapet had hit the median while attempting to overtake another bus, jumped onto the median and come to a halt. Half of the truck was on the divider, whereas the other half was on the road,” said Suryapet district superintendent of police K Narasimha. He added: “The driver of bus that was also at high speed, failed to notice the truck and collided with it from the rear side.”According to cops, the right side of the bus took maximum impact. The iron poles, meant for industrial scaffolding, pierced through the bus and injured passengers. The force of the collision crushed a portion of the bus, trapping several passengers inside. “The driver, however, escaped unhurt and he is at large,” the DSP said.The six deceased, all of them from AP, were identified as Yasarapu Chinni (32) and Chennakesavulu Nagendra Babu (31) from NTR district; B Meri Jyoshna (29) and Pidikidi Laxmi (30) from Vijayawada; Suravarapu Shakeena (24) from West Godavari; and Konduru Bhavana Varsha (28) from NTR district. Jyoshna and Nagendra Babu were software professionals.Panic gripped the bus as injured passengers screamed for help amid the chaos. Some managed to escape through the windows, while onlookers and passersby alerted the police.Police said they had to first remove the iron poles lodged in the bus before rescuing the trapped passengers. Seats inside the bus were damaged and blood stains were visible in the wreckage. The remaining iron poles fell onto the highway, triggering a traffic jam on the busy route.Doctors at the local area hospital said 20 passengers were brought in by 108 ambulances. Three had suffered head injuries and seven had fractures. After receiving initial treatment, some of the injured were shifted to specialised hospitals in Suryapet and Vijayawada for further care.While some passengers said that the accident occurred shortly after a change of drivers, with the relieving driver taking charge at a local dhaba in Undrugonda, police are probing to ascertain whether the bus driver dozed off at the wheel.Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy expressed grief over the accident and directed the chief secretary to ensure the injured received the best possible medical care.In a statement, Fresh Bus said it is “actively working on the ground in close coordination with local authorities, emergency services and hospitals to ensure timely medical assistance and provide every possible support to the affected passengers and their families”. “We have also strengthened our support channels to ensure that passengers and their families can reach us easily, receive timely assistance and have access to verified information and updates,’’ the statement added.