In a tragic bus accident, 45 passengers were burnt alive, when a bus they were travelling in caught fire in Mahabubnagar district, in the early hours of Wednesday.
The private Volvo bus, belonging to Jabbar Travels, caught fire after hitting a culvert near Palem in Kottakota mandal of Mahabubnagar district.
The bus was returning from Bangalore to Hyderabad, and the accident happened at around 4.20am.
5 persons, who survived the tragedy, were later admitted to a hospital.
The diesel tanker reportedly exploded after the bus hit the culvert and within no time the entire bus caught fire.
Speaking to media persons at the RTA Office at Khairtabad, Transport Minister Botsa Satyanarayan confirmed 45 deaths in the tragic accident.
He said that 5 injured persons were undergoing treatment in a hospital. He also mentioned that Jabbar Travels had taken the bus on lease.
Help lines have been set up to help the relatives, and the process of identification of dead bodies has also been started.
Botsa said that the decision to pay compensation to the victims' families would be taken after Chief Minister N Kiran Kumar Reddy returns from the Srikakulam tour.
He said that all steps will be taken to prevent such incidents in future.
The Mahabubnagar district police have started help lines with the following numbers: 9494600100, 08542-245927, 245930, 245932. (INN)
filed in:Road Accidents, Roads, Transport, Fire Accidents