The Telangana government announced Rs 5 lakh ex-gratia for families of those from the state who died in the Andhra Pradesh bus fire tragedy. Transport Minister Ponnam Prabhakar said Rs 2 lakh will be given to the injured, with the state ensuring advanced medical care for survivors
Hyderabad-bound private bus after it caught fire following a collision with a two-wheeler, near Chinnatekur in Kurnool district. Pic/PTI
The Telangana government on Friday announced an ex-gratia of Rs 5 lakh to the kin of those from the state who died in a bus fire accident in the Kurnool district of neighbouring Andhra Pradesh.
Telangana State Transport Minister Ponnam Prabhakar said that, “As per the directives of Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy, those injured in the accident would be provided with financial assistance of Rs 2 lakh,’ as cited by news agency PTI.
Ponnam Prabhakar, while posting on social media platform X, said that the government would also take steps to provide advanced medical care to the injured.
During the early hours of Friday, the Bengaluru-bound private bus from Hyderabad caught fire in the Kurnool district of Andhra Pradesh after colliding with a two-wheeler, leaving 20 people dead.
As reported by news agency PTI, some of the bodies were charred beyond recognition, prompting officials to call forensic teams to collect DNA samples of the deceased.
One of the official white highlights about the horrific incident which occurred at midnight said that several passengers couldn't escape the tragedy because it struck at night while they were sleeping.
Speaking to the media about the incident, Kurnool Range DIG Koya Praveen said that, "So far, 19 bodies have been retrieved from the charred bus. While the biker's body is in the mortuary," as cited by news agency PTI.
The police official added that, “The bus door got jammed due to a short circuit, and the vehicle was completely gutted within minutes. Most survivors were aged between 25 and 35 years.”
The senior police officer further said that a complete picture of casualties and survivors would emerge only after a thorough investigation and identification of all those involved in the accident.
Addressing further about the tragic incident, the District Collector said that there were 41 people travelling in the bus, including the driver. Out of the 41 onboard, 21 have been identified. The official further added that, “Those who escaped the accident are stable and out of danger,” as cited by news agency PTI.
In view of such a tragic incident that took 20 lives, President Droupadi Murmu, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi, Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu and his Telangana counterpart A Revanth Reddy also expressed their anguish.
(With inputs from PTI)
Subscribe today by clicking the link and stay updated with the latest news!" Click here!
