Amaravati, Mar 26: At least 13 people were killed and around 25 others injured after a private travel bus collided with a tipper lorry and caught fire in Markapuram district of Andhra Pradesh early Thursday morning, police said.
The accident occurred around 6:00 am near Rayavaram when the bus, belonging to Harikrishna Travels, was travelling from Nirmal in Telangana to Nellore. Several passengers were reportedly burnt alive following the collision.
Police said the injured were rescued and shifted to nearby hospitals for treatment, with officials warning that the death toll could rise. Earlier reports had put the number of fatalities at eight.
Markapuram Deputy Superintendent of Police Nagraju said nearly eight passengers were burnt alive, while rescue efforts led to the evacuation of several injured persons.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed condolences over the tragedy and announced an ex-gratia of ₹2 lakh for the next of kin of each deceased and ₹50,000 for the injured from the PMNRF.
Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu also expressed shock and grief over the incident and directed officials to conduct a thorough probe and ensure proper medical care for the injured.
Deputy Chief Minister Pawan Kalyan and IT Minister Nara Lokesh conveyed condolences and assured all possible support to the victims’ families, while Telangana Chief Minister Revanth Reddy also expressed grief and directed coordination with Andhra Pradesh authorities for treatment of the injured. (Agencies)
