At least nine people lost their lives and over two dozen others were injured after a passenger bus plunged into a deep ravine in Andhra Pradesh’s Alluri Sitarama Raju district early Friday morning. The tragic crash took place around 4:30 am on the Chintoor–Maredumilli ghat section, a stretch known for sharp curves and low visibility during winter.
According to early reports, the bus was travelling from Chittoor toward Telangana when the driver suddenly lost control on a bend near a Durga temple. The vehicle veered off the road and tumbled into the valley. There were 37 passengers onboard; six managed to escape without major injuries.
District SP Amit Bardar said that local authorities, police and rescue teams rushed to the spot as soon as the incident was reported. A large-scale rescue operation was launched to pull survivors from the mangled remains of the bus. The injured were immediately shifted to a nearby hospital, where four passengers are battling for their lives.
The accident triggered a wave of grief across the region. Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed his condolences and announced an ex-gratia of ₹2 lakh for each of the deceased from the Prime Minister’s National Relief Fund. Additional relief measures are being coordinated with the Andhra Pradesh administration.
