Seven people were killed and 18 others injured when a State-owned APSRTC bus carrying a marriage party from Podili plunged into Nagarjunasagar Darsi branch canal at Darsi in Prakasam district in the early hours of Tuesday.
The happiness of the bride’s relatives was shortlived as their trip to Kakinada to attend the marriage reception hosted by the family members of the bridegroom in Kakinada by hiring an APSRTC super luxury bus from Ongole depot turned fatal.
Superintendent of Police Malika Garg, who oversaw the rescue operation at the accident spot, said the accident occurred when the bus driver hit the fringes of the bridge while trying to avoid collision with an oncoming vehicle. As a result, the steering rod broke and the bus fell into the canal.
While six persons died on the spot, a 6-year-old succumbed to injuries while being rushed to the Goverment Hospital at Darsi, plunging the family members of the bride, whose marriage was performed only on July 9, in gloom and despair.
A team of police and fire service personnel had a tough time in taking out the bus from the canal in pitch dark conditions. An earth mover was used to extricate the bodies of the deceased, and the injured who fell over each other in the impact of the mishap were rushed to hospital. Four of the injured including the bus driver were shifted to a private hospital in Ongole. One of them was later shifted to a hospital in Guntur for better treatment.
Constant efforts were being made by the police to identify black spots and caution the public accordingly, Ms. Garg said.
District Collector A.S. Dinesh Kumar who also rushed to the spot and also visited the injured in the hospital, assured the bereaved family members that the State Government would provide best medical treatment to them. The State Government announced a compensation of ₹10 lakh each to the families of the deceased. The seriously injured would be provided ₹2 lakh each and those who suffered simple injuries ₹50,000 each, he added.
CM expresses grief
Chief Minister Y. S. Jagan Mohan Reddy has expressed grief over the loss of lives in a road accident near Darsi in Prakasam district.
Mr. Jagan asked the officials to provide better medical facilities to the people who were injuried. He also wanted the officials to stand by the bereaved families. The Chief Minister was apprised of the rescue and relief operations by the officials concerned.
Former State Forests Minister Sidda Raghava Rao and YSR Congress Party MLA from Markapur K.Nagarjuna Reddy were among those who offered their condolences to the bereaved family members.
