In India, two car accidents killed at least 35 people and hurt dozens more. This has raised more worries about the country’s road-safety regulations.
In the early hours of Monday, the state-run passenger bus collided head-on with a speeding truck carrying concrete blocks near Chevella town in Telangana’s Ranga Reddy district. The impact killed at least 20 people and injured around two dozen others, according to local authorities. The bus, belonging to the Telangana State Road Transport Corporation (TSRTC), was on its way to Hyderabad carrying about 70 passengers. District official K. Chandrakala said the speeding truck, coming from the opposite direction, rammed into the front of the bus, crushing its cabin and trapping several passengers inside.
Rescue personnel arrived at the spot, and the dead were shifted to the Chevella government hospital mortuary. The hospital superintendent, Dr. Rajendra Prasad, said that the hospital had received 20 bodies, which would be handed over to the families after the necessary formalities. The injured were admitted to nearby hospitals.
The tragedy in Telangana came less than 24 hours after another fatal crash in Rajasthan. Late Sunday night, a mini-bus carrying pilgrims returning from the Kolayat temple festival collided with a stationary truck on a national highway near Jodhpur. At least 15 people were killed, including 10 women, four children, and the bus driver. Two others were injured.
The victims were on their way to Jodhpur after performing religious rituals, according to senior official Shweta Chauhan. The collision totally mangled the front of the mini-bus, trapping several passengers in the wreckage.
Preliminary investigations suggest the bus driver may have attempted to overtake another vehicle when he struck the parked truck, said senior police officer Kundan Kanwariya. “It appears the driver had no time to brake,” he noted.
Improperly parked trucks have been a warning by the authorities for long periods of time, as many of the Indian highways lack reflective markings or hazard lights. Such negligence, especially at night, has been linked to several fatal accidents over recent years.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi posted his condolences and announced ex-gratia assistance, writing on the [Prime Minister’s Office on X] that the loss of lives in Telangana’s Ranga Reddy district is “deeply saddening,” and that ₹2 lakh from PMNRF would be given to the next of kin of each deceased and ₹50,000 to the injured.
Telangana Chief Minister Revanth Reddy, and Rajasthan Chief Minister Bhajanlal Sharma all sent their deepest condolences to the families of the victims.
The twin tragedies come just weeks after another deadly incident in Rajasthan, in which a short circuit triggered a fire on a passenger bus, killing at least 20 people.
(With inputs from Indian news outlets )
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