New Delhi: A tipper truck loaded with gravel collided head-on with a Telangana State Road Transport Corporation (TSRTC) bus, resulting in 24 deaths and several injuries. The collision took place on the Hyderabad-Bijapur highway near Mirjaguda in Chevella, Rangareddy, on Monday morning.

Near Chevella, the truck was in the right lane while the bus was in the opposite lane, when the gravel load from the lorry fell onto the bus, which had over 70 passengers on board. Earthmovers are being used to pull people out of the bus filled with gravel.

Chief Minister Revanth Reddy expressed grief over the accident and ordered Chief Secretary K Ramakrishna Rao and DGP Shivadhar Reddy to take immediate relief measures. The injured have been evacuated to Hyderabad for better medical treatment.

“According to eyewitness accounts and police confirmation, the tipper was travelling at high speed, overtaking multiple vehicles, when it suddenly swerved to the right and collided head-on with an RTC bus coming from the opposite direction. The heavy tipper, loaded with kankar, caused significant damage and injuries. Fourteen injured individuals have been transported to Patnam Mahender Reddy Hospital,” RTC MD Nagireddy said.

Traffic movement from Chevella towards Vikarabad has been diverted. Vehicles travelling from Chevella are being redirected at the Chevella T-Junction via:

Yenkapally → Kothapalle → Thangadpally → Burhanpalle → Vikarabad

Cyberabad Traffic Police are present at diversion points and managing traffic to ensure smooth movement along alternate routes.