24 killed in massive truck-bus collision in India

At least 24 people were killed and several others were injured in India when a lorry carrying gravel collided head-on with a state-run road transport corporation (RTC) bus in Telangana's Ranga Reddy district on Monday morning, the police said.

The bus, belonging to the Tandur depot with 70 passengers was travelling to Hyderabad, when the lorry coming from the opposite direction collided with it and fell on the bus, near Mirzaguda village in Chevella mandal (block).

According to police, the impact of the collision was so severe that the lorry's gravel load fell onto the bus, trapping several passengers underneath. Eyewitnesses said the accident site presented a heart-rending scene, with passengers crying for help as locals rushed to rescue them.

Among the deceased are the drivers of both the RTC bus and the lorry, several women, and a ten-month-old infant along with its mother, police said.

Emergency teams rushed to the spot and launched rescue operations using three JCB excavators to remove the debris and pull out those trapped inside.

The injured have been shifted to the Chevella Government Hospital, while those in critical condition are being referred to hospitals in Hyderabad. Police officials said the death toll may rise further as some of the injured remain in a serious condition.

Preliminary reports suggest that the RTC bus was on its way from Tandur to Hyderabad, carrying around 70 passengers, mostly students and office-goers returning to the city after the weekend. Many of the students were reportedly studying in various colleges in Hyderabad and were returning after visiting their homes due to the Sunday holiday.

Following the accident, traffic came to a standstill on the Hyderabad–Bijapur highway, with long queues of vehicles stretching across the Chevella–Vikarabad route.

A senior police official from Chevella police station said the rescue teams rushed to the spot within minutes of receiving the information and took up the rescue operations. "So far, the police managed to rescue 15 passengers, including the bus conductor Radha," he said.

During the operation, Chevella Circle Inspector Bhupal Sridhar sustained an injury to his left leg after being struck by a JCB and was shifted to the Chevella hospital for treatment.

Telangana chief minister A Revanth Reddy expressed deep shock over the tragedy and directed chief secretary K Ramakrishna Rao and director general of police B Shivadhar Reddy to ensure immediate rescue and relief measures.

He instructed officials to shift all the injured to Hyderabad for better medical treatment without delay. He also spoke to ministers and senior officials, directing them to reach the accident site and personally supervise rescue operations. "District authorities have been ordered to intensify relief efforts and ensure all necessary arrangements are made on a war footing," an official statement said.

Revanth Reddy, in a telephonic review with the DGP and Chief Secretary, instructed that all government departments be mobilized to assist in the rescue and recovery process. He emphasized the need for adequate ambulances, emergency medical teams, and paramedical staff to be deployed at the site to save as many lives as possible.

Authorities are investigating the cause of the collision, though preliminary reports suggest overspeeding and loss of control by the lorry driver as possible reasons for the accident.