ALLURI SITARAMA RAJU DISTRICT (Rajeev Sharma): A pilgrimage trip turned tragic on Friday when a passenger bus veered off a ghat stretch in the Chintoor region, resulting in nine fatalities and injuries to 22 others, according to district police.
The vehicle, travelling from Chittoor to Bhadrachalam in Telangana, was carrying 37 people including staff. Officials said six passengers escaped the crash without major injuries.
Superintendent of Police Amit Bardar said the accident unfolded at about 4:30 a.m. on the Chintoor–Maredumilli hill route, not far from a local Durga temple. The bus is believed to have lost control on a steep curve and toppled on the slope below the road. Although it did not descend fully into the valley, the impact caused extensive damage.
Bardar noted that dense fog blanketing the area at the time may have obscured the driver’s view of the bend. “Visibility was severely limited, and the driver likely failed to spot the turn in time,” he said. Four of the injured passengers are reported to be in critical condition.
The occupants were on their way to visit the Sri Rama temple in Bhadrachalam when the vehicle met with the accident. Emergency responders and local residents rushed to the spot shortly after dawn to pull survivors from the overturned bus and transport them to nearby medical facilities.
Authorities are reviewing the road conditions and mechanical aspects of the vehicle as part of a broader investigation into the cause of the crash.
