Conductor side passengers survived, driver side killed, recalls survivor

Hyderabad, Nov 3 (PTI) Most passengers seated behind the bus driver were killed, while those behind the conductor survived the deadly accident in Telangana that claimed 19 lives, one of the survivors said on Monday.

Recalling the horrific incident, the survivor said he was dozing in the bus when a loud thud jolted him awake, leaving him half-buried in gravel.

“Several people were buried under the gravel. The tipper lorry came from the opposite direction. I was seated on the left side of the bus. We managed to climb out, but those who were sitting behind the driver couldn’t make it — some of them died. I was seated three rows behind the conductor,” he told the media.

He further said he opened a window and escaped, with six others following. Later, another person broke the window panes to free more passengers.

A doctor at the government hospital in Chevella said the accident victims suffered fractures, facial, abdominal and leg injuries.

The injured persons were undergoing treatment, including administration of IV fluid, TT injections and referred to major state-run hospitals in Hyderabad.

According to TV visuals, half the bus was filled with gravel, trapping passengers inside.

The authorities deployed heavy earth-moving equipment to clear the wreckage of the ill-fated bus.

Chevella Inspector Sridhar sustained minor injuries during a rescue operation after an excavator ran over his leg, a police official said. PTI GDK SJR ROH