A woman passenger was killed while seven others sustained injuries when the private bus they were travelling in met with an accident at Itikyala area of Jogulamba-Gadwal district during the early hours of Saturday. It was a Chittoor-bound bus from Hyderabad which overturned after the driver allegedly fell asleep at the wheel, said the local police.
Sub Inspector of Itikyala police Pasupula Ashok Babu said that the bus belonged to Jagan travels, bearing the number AP 29 X 4633. The accident spot is around 188 kilometres from Hyderabad on National Highway 44. “The driver, Shamshuddin, along with the co-driver, Yeseppu Babu, were heading to Chittoor with 37 people on board when they met with the mishap. The seater-sleeper bus, fell on its side by the roadside and caught fire, which killed 40-year-old Surapaneni Malathi, a resident of Chittoor. She was travelling back home by herself,” said the official.
Officials from the fire control room in Hyderabad said that a distress call was received at 2.35 a.m. on Saturday, following which one fire tender was rushed to the spot. “The fire tender was sent from the Gadwal Fire Station, which is around 20 kilometres away from the accident spot. The distance was covered in about 20 minutes and the flames were doused,” said the officials from the Gadwal Fire Station.
As many as seven passengers sustained injuries in the mishap, who were rushed for medical attention to Gadwal Hospital and their condition is said to be out of danger. A case was booked against the driver under Section 304-A (death by negligence) of IPC and he was taken into custody.
