5 killed, 16 hurt as bus crashes into parked truck

Suryapet: Five people, including the driver, lost their lives, and 16 others were injured when a private travel bus collided with a parked lorry on National Highway 365 BB at Ilapuram in Chivvemla mandal during the early hours of Friday.

The accident occurred at 4.45 am as the bus, travelling from Odisha to Hyderabad, rammed into the rear of a stationary lorry. Four victims — Rupu Harijan (51), his wife Salva Harijan (46), Sunamani Harijan (61), and bus driver Sunil Gondra — died instantly. Another victim, 17-year-old Prathush Partha Harijan, succumbed to injuries while receiving treatment at a hospital in Suryapet. The 16 injured passengers, all labourers from Odisha, were rushed to the Government General Hospital in Suryapet, where their condition is reported to be stable.

Police reported that the lorry, loaded with sand, had been parked roadside due to a tire puncture. The private bus, carrying 32 labourers arranged by a manpower agency for work in Hyderabad, was speeding at 110 km/h at the time of the crash. Preliminary investigations suggest negligent and overspeeding driving as the cause of the accident.

It was a heart-wrenching scene with debris and victims’ remains scattered on the road. Chivvemla police arrived promptly, rescuing those trapped in the wreckage and initiating an investigation. Superintendent of police Sunpreet Singh visited the accident site and reviewed the situation with the local police.