Two killed, several injured as bus plunges into 100-feet valley in Andhra’s Alluri district

Alluri (Andhra Pradesh) [India], August 20 (ANI): Two persons were killed when an Andhra Pradesh State Road Transport Corporation bus carrying 28 passengers plunged into the valley in the state’s Alluri district, state Industries Minister Gudivada Amarnath said on Sunday evening.

The accident took place on Paderu Ghat road in Alluri district.

“Four seriously injured people were shifted to Visakha KGH Hospital. The rest were shifted to Paderu District Hospital. We are providing treatment to all of them. If necessary, we will shift the injured to Visakhapatnam for better medical treatment,’ said, Sumit, Alluri District Collector.

“An RTC bus fell into a 100 feet valley at the viewpoint of Paderu Ghat road. There were 28 passengers on the bus. Many were seriously injured. It is reported that two people died in this accident,” they said.

“The death toll is likely to rise,” they said.

As per initial reports, the RTC bus was on its way from Paderu to Chodavaram when the accident took place.

Initial reports suggest it appears that the bus flipped seven times before plunging into the valley.

Upon receiving the word, locals undertook a rescue operation, pulled the passengers and took them in another RTC bus coming from Paderu to Paderu Government Hospital.

Passengers alleged that branches of trees lying on the road due to recent rains and the absence of a protective wall on the Ghat road were reasons behind this fatal accident.

CM Jagan Mohan Reddy expressed grief over the loss of lives.

The CM has issued instructions to the District Collectors of Alluri district, Anakapalli and Visakhapatnam to take relief measures. He directed the police administration of the respective districts to admit the injured to good hospitals and provide better medical services, the government informed through a statement.

State Industries Minister and ASR District In-charge Minister Gudivada Amarnath who was supervising the rescue operations said that CM Jagan Reddy has ordered to give an exgratia of Rs 10 lakh to the families of the deceased and an exgratia of Rs 5 lakh to those with permanent disabilities and Rs 1 lakh to those injured.

Later, Minister Amarnath told the media that an RTC bus coming from Visakha to Paderu fell into the valley, in which two people were killed and another person was seriously injured.

The minister who visited the injured being treated at the district hospital said that a probe will be ordered into the accident.