Representative image.
Credit: PTI Photo
Hyderabad: At least eight persons were killed and around 30 severely injured as an APSRTC bus collided with a truck on the Chittoor Bengaluru highway in Chittoor on Friday evening.
The majority of the deceased are believed to be pilgrims from Bengaluru, returning from their recent visit to the Tirumala temple. The bus from the RTC depot in Tirupati was going to Bengaluru and collided with the truck coming from the opposite direction at Mogali Ghat in Chittoor.
Mogali Ghat is said to be a highly accident-prone spot. Police, along with ambulances, have rushed to the scene. Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu expressed condolences to the family of the deceased and promised to provide support.
Chittoor Collector, Sumit Kumar, announced a relief of Rs 5 lakh for the families of the deceased.
Ambulances and police from Palamaner, Bangarupalem, and Chittoor rushed to the scene, transferring the injured passengers to the Government Area Hospital in Palamaner, followed by hospitals in Bengaluru and Vellore.
A preliminary investigation suggested that the driver of the RTC bus lost control of the wheel and collided with the truck from the opposite direction. Meanwhile, another truck hit the bus from behind. The RTC bus sustained extensive damage, and police are currently attempting to identify the deceased while registering a case.