20 dead as tipper crashes into bus in Telangana; PM Modi announces ₹2 lakh ex-gratia | VIDEO

Ranga Reddy (Telangana): At least 20 people were killed and 20 others suffered injuries when a tipper lorry carrying gravel collided head-on with a public transport bus in Ranga Reddy district of Telangana on Monday. Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed deepest condolences and announced ₹2 lakh ex-gratia for families of those killed and ₹50,000 for the injured.

The tipper collided with the Telangana Road Transport Corporation (RTC) vehicle near Chevella on Monday morning, resulting in the gravel falling on the bus.

The 19 deceased, included 10 women, a police official told PTI. The driver of the bus, travelling to Hyderabad from Tandur, was among the dead.

The total of passengers travelling in the bus could not be ascertained immediately, he said.

The injured persons were in trauma and they could not provide information on the number of passengers in the bus.

With the gravel falling on the bus, several passengers got stuck inside the vehicle and officials carried out relief measures using earthmovers.

The passengers of the bus were brought out of it, the police official added.

"The loss of lives due to a mishap in the Rangareddy district of Telangana is deeply saddening. My thoughts are with the affected people and their families during this difficult time. Praying for the speedy recovery of the injured. An ex-gratia of Rs. 2 lakhs from PMNRF would be given to the next of kin of each deceased. The injured would be given Rs. 50,000: PM @narendramodi," the Prime Minister's office wrote on X.

Expressing anguish over the accident, Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy directed Chief Secretary K Ramakrishna Rao and DGP Shivadhar Reddy to carry out relief measures on a war footing, an official release said.

The CM also asked some ministers to rush to the accident site, it said.

He told the officials to rush the injured passengers to Hyderabad to provide advanced treatment.

(with inputs from PTI)