A private bus toppled over, went off the highway and into the fields near Nawabpet in Penuganchiprolu Mandal of Krishna district in the middle of the night, injuring around 35 passengers, including 10 children. The bus, which belongs to Ramana Tours and Travels, was on its way from Yanam to Hyderabad when the accident occurred.
According to Penuganchiprolu police, there were around 40 passengers in the bus and 35 of them have suffered injuries. “All the injured passengers were taken to a hospital in Nandigam nearby for first-aid. Around 20 people who had suffered serious injuries have been moved to the Vijayawada Government Hospital. Most of them are out of danger, but one 10-year-old girl is still critical,” said the police.
The driver, who was stuck in the cabin after the accident, was rescued and is also being treated in the hospital. Most of the passengers were sleeping when the accident took place, at around 3 AM on Monday. The passengers have alleged that the accident had occurred due to rash driving and the driver did not heed their repeated warnings to slow down.
The police have registered a case against the driver under IPC Sections 337 and 338 for driving rashly and endangering passengers’ lives. “It looks like the driver tried to overtake a truck and ended up toppling the bus,” the police said.
(This is a developing story.)