At least seven people were injured in Telangana on Monday after the Road Transport Corporation (RTC) bus that they were travelling in, hit a car and swerved off the road, before falling into a storm water drain.
The incident happened close to Ramachandrapuram village in Yadadri Bhuvanagiri district on the Hyderabad-Warangal road, as the bus was travelling from the capital city.
"Driver of an Ertiga car, who was on the right side of the road, suddenly came in front of the bus while trying to overtake it. To avoid a collision, the bus driver steered the vehicle to the left. After hitting the car, the bus ended up in the drain,” Bhongir DCP K Narayana Reddy was quoted as saying.
According to media reports, the bus belonged to the Parkal depot in Warangal Rural district, and was being driven by a temporary driver, in view of the ongoing strike by employees of the Telangana State Road Transport Corporation (TSRTC).
A case has been registered under Section 337 (Causing hurt by act endangering life or personal safety of others) of the IPC and further investigation is ongoing.
The state has witnessed a spate of such accidents as the government led by Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao has been adamant in ruling out talks with striking workers and has employed several drivers and conductors on a temporary basis, to operate skeletal services.
Just earlier this week, a 24-year-old migrant worker from Karnataka was knocked down and killed by a TSRTC bus on Sunday while he was crossing the road in Nizamabad district. Last week, two persons were killed in separate incidents due to accidents caused by the temporary drivers.
Meanwhile, the indefinite strike by the TSRTC entered its 17th day on Monday. The strike began on October 5 with a charter of 26 demands, the main being the TSRTC's merger with the government.
Despite the High Court suggesting to the government, the TSRTC and striking employees to initiate talks, the impasse continued as both sides stuck to their demands.
The Joint Action Committee (JAC) of striking employees wants the government or TSRTC management to invite them for talks to discuss all demands including merger.
However, the government has ruled out taking back the striking employees into the TSRTC.