Eluru, Dec 15: In a ghastly road accident, nine passengers travelling in the Andhra Pradesh State Road Transport Corporation (APSRTC) bus were killed and nine others injured when it fell into Jalleru rivulet at Jangareddygudem in West Godavari district on Wednesday.
Police said that over 40 passengers were traveling in the ill-fated bus which was proceeding to Jangareddygudem from Aswaraopet.
The bus fell into the rivulet from 30-feet height from the bridge after crushing the railing.
The nearby fishermen and passers-by rescued some passengers but by the time 9 passengers including five women were killed.
The bus driver Chinna Rao was among those who died.
All the bodies were extricated from the ill-fated bus. So far four passengers were identified as Chinna Rao, P Durga, Varalakshmi, A Madhubabu.
The injured persons were shifted to the Government General Hospital(GGH) in Jangareddygudem.
The exact reason for the accident is yet to be ascertained, RTC officials said.
Meanwhile, Chief Minister Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy expressed grief and shock over the death of nine RTC bus passengers.
He announced Rs 5 lakh ex gratia to the families of each deceased.
Mr Reddy spoke with West Godavari district Collector and directed to take steps to provide the best treatment to the injured.
Andhra Pradesh Governor Biswa Bhusan Harichandan expressed anguish and profound grief over the bus accident near Jalleru in Jangareddigudem mandal of West Godavari district in which nine passengers including the driver lost their lives.
Telugu Desam Party Chief and former Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu also expressed anguish over the death of nine RTC bus passengers.
UNI
