Markapuram, March 26: At least 12 passengers were killed and around 20 others injured after a private travel bus caught fire following a head-on collision with a speeding tipper lorry near the slab quarries at Rayavaram in Markapuram district during the early hours of Thursday.
According to reports, the bus belonging to Harikrishna Travels was travelling from Jagtial in Telangana to Kaligiri when the accident took place at around 5:45 AM.
The impact of the collision was so severe that the bus burst into flames, trapping several passengers inside. Initial reports said that at least 13 passengers may have been burnt alive, while officials have so far confirmed 12 deaths.
Around 20 to 23 injured passengers were immediately shifted to nearby hospitals for treatment. Ongole SP Harshavardhan Raju said that, except for one or two passengers who sustained fractures, the condition of the injured is reported to be stable.
Authorities are currently collecting details of the passengers travelling in the bus and are working to verify the identities of the deceased. Efforts are also underway to inform the families of those affected.
Meanwhile, rescue and relief operations continued at the accident site as police and emergency teams cleared the wreckage and began an investigation into the cause of the crash.
