Overview
- Police confirm at least 19 dead and more than 20 injured after a gravel-laden tipper struck a TSRTC bus near Mirjaguda in Chevella around daybreak.
- The impact ripped open the bus and poured gravel into the cabin, burying passengers as rescuers cut the chassis and used earthmovers to free survivors and recover bodies.
- Both drivers died in the collision, and the injured were taken to facilities in Chevella, Vikarabad and Hyderabad, including NIMS, with forensic teams conducting post-mortems at the Chevella CHC.
- The bus carried roughly 70–72 passengers against a capacity of about 50, with several riders opting for the bus after missing early-morning trains to Hyderabad.
- An official probe is underway, with early findings pointing to a large pothole on a narrow two-lane stretch, vehicle speed and crowding; ex-gratia was announced by the Prime Minister (Rs 2 lakh) and the Chief Minister (Rs 5 lakh), as victims include an infant, students and three sisters from Tandur.