💔 Telangana Tragedy: 19 Killed as Gravel-Laden Truck Rams into Passenger Bus in Ranga Reddy
🚨 Horror on the Hyderabad–Bijapur Highway
RANGAREDDY, TELANGANA (Nov 3, 2025): In one of the worst road accidents in Telangana’s history, at least 19 people — including 14 women and a 10-month-old baby — lost their lives when a gravel-loaded tipper lorry collided head-on with a TGSRTC hire bus near Mirzaguda village in Chevella mandal on Monday morning. Another 25 passengers were injured, many critically.
The collision occurred around 6:15 am on the Hyderabad–Bijapur highway. Police said the truck, overloaded with gravel from Lakdaram (Patancheru) to Manneguda, was speeding and attempting to overtake another vehicle when it swerved sharply to avoid a pothole — crashing into the oncoming bus carrying 72 passengers, despite its 35-seat capacity.
⚙️ Overloaded and Out of Control
The impact was catastrophic. The front of the bus was completely crushed, killing both drivers instantly — Akash Kamle (24) from Maharashtra, who drove the tipper, and RTC driver Dastagiri Baba, a five-year veteran of the Tandur–Hyderabad route.
Over 50 tonnes of gravel, far exceeding the legal limit of 35 tonnes, spilled into the overturned bus, trapping passengers beneath the debris.
😢 A Scene of Horror and Desperation
Eyewitnesses described a nightmarish scene — passengers suffocating under gravel, crying for help, while locals rushed to rescue them. Police and firefighters reached by 7 am and used JCB machines to clear the wreckage. During the operation, Chevella CI Sridhar was injured when a JCB ran over his leg.
Among the victims were three sisters studying in Hyderabad, a newly married couple with their infant, and multiple members from two other families.
Rescuers said one of the most heart-wrenching sights was a mother found holding her lifeless baby tightly in her arms.
🏥 Rescue and Relief Efforts
The injured were shifted to Vikarabad Government Hospital and PMR Hospital in Chevella. Many remain in critical condition.
Following directions from Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy, a Control Room was set up at the Secretariat to monitor rescue efforts.
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🏛️ CM, Ministers, and Officials Rush to the Site
Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy expressed deep sorrow and instructed officials to personally oversee rescue operations. Transport Minister Ponnam Prabhakar and TGSRTC Vice-Chairman & MD Nagi Reddy visited the spot to supervise relief work and meet bereaved families.
Prabhakar announced ₹7 lakh ex gratia for the families of each deceased — ₹5 lakh from the state and ₹2 lakh from TGSRTC — and ₹2 lakh for the injured. Additional aid will be provided under vehicle insurance coverage.
💰 PM Modi Announces Additional Compensation
Prime Minister Narendra Modi extended condolences and announced ₹2 lakh compensation for the next of kin of the deceased and ₹50,000 for the injured under the Prime Minister’s National Relief Fund (PMNRF).
“My thoughts are with the affected people and their families during this difficult time. Praying for the speedy recovery of the injured,” the PMO posted on X (formerly Twitter).
🔎 Investigation Underway
IT Minister D. Sridhar Babu, along with local MLAs, visited the site and hospitals. The government has ordered both magisterial and departmental probes into the incident.
A preliminary report by TGSRTC confirmed the bus’s fitness and insurance were valid, ruling out mechanical failure. The cause, they said, was the overspeeding and loss of control by the overloaded gravel tipper on an accident-prone stretch of the highway.
Police have registered a case under Section 106(1) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) for causing death by rash and negligent driving.
🕯️ A Day of Mourning
The state of Telangana mourns the loss of 19 innocent lives — mothers, children, students, and workers — whose journey ended in tragedy on an early morning highway. As the government pledges strict enforcement against overloading and reckless driving, grieving families await justice and relief.
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