A private travel bus plunged into a gorge in Alluri Sitharamaraju district, Andhra Pradesh, in the early hours of Friday, killing at least eight pilgrims and injuring several others.
The accident occurred on the Chintur-Naredumilli ghat road when the driver reportedly failed to navigate a sharp bend, crashing into the safety wall before the vehicle tumbled into the gorge.
The bus was carrying 37 people, including two drivers, heading to Annavaram after a visit to the Bhadrachalam temple in Telangana.
Due to poor mobile network coverage in the area, authorities received delayed information about the crash. Police teams rushed to the site and launched a rescue operation, recovering eight bodies and transporting the injured to a hospital in Chintur. Five police vehicles and three ambulances were deployed to assist with the emergency response.
Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu expressed deep shock over the incident and directed officials to provide the best possible treatment for the injured.
Home Minister V Anitha and Tribal Welfare Minister G Sandhya Rani visited the site, coordinating with district authorities to ensure immediate support for the victims.
The tragic incident highlights ongoing concerns over road safety in Andhra Pradesh. Last month, Chief Minister Naidu ordered third-party audits of road accidents to examine their causes.
In a recent Road Safety Council meeting, he noted that 6,433 people had died in 15,462 accidents across the state this year. Officials report that over-speeding accounts for 79 per cent of accidents, while wrong-side driving, alcohol, and mobile phone usage contribute to a smaller fraction.
Andhra Pradesh currently ranks eighth nationwide in road accident fatalities, emphasising the need for stricter safety measures on highways and ghat roads.
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