Telangana Bus-Truck Collision Kills 20; PM Modi, CM Revanth Reddy Announce Relief, Probe Ordered

At least 20 people were killed and several others injured after a gravel-laden tipper lorry collided head-on with a Telangana State Road Transport Corporation (TSRTC) bus near Chevella in Ranga Reddy district early Monday morning.

The state-run bus, en route from Tandur to Hyderabad, was struck by the speeding truck, which was reportedly coming from the wrong direction. The impact was so severe that the bus’s front portion was crushed, and gravel spilled over, trapping passengers inside.

Police and emergency teams launched a massive rescue operation using earthmovers and cranes to pull out survivors. Officials confirmed that among the deceased were ten women and the bus driver.

Rescue and Response

The injured were rushed to nearby hospitals and later shifted to Hyderabad for specialised treatment.
Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy expressed deep sorrow over the tragedy and ordered an immediate investigation. He directed Chief Secretary K. Ramakrishna Rao and DGP Shivadhar Reddy to carry out rescue operations “on a war footing.”

Transport Minister Ponnam Prabhakar said: “Around 20 people have died, 20 others are under treatment, and three remain critically injured.”
A control room has been set up in the State Secretariat, and senior officials — including the RTC Managing Director and Fire Services Director General — have been dispatched to the crash site.

Condolences and Relief

Prime Minister Narendra Modi called the incident “deeply saddening” and announced an ex-gratia of ₹2 lakh each to the next of kin of the deceased and ₹50,000 for the injured from the PM National Relief Fund (PMNRF).

Preliminary Findings

Initial investigations suggest that the truck driver was overspeeding and driving on the wrong side, leading to the fatal collision. Authorities are examining whether overloading or driver negligence contributed to the crash.

The Telangana government has ordered a detailed probe into the incident, one of the deadliest road accidents in the state in recent years.