Frequent Bus Accidents in Telugu States Spark Safety Concerns

Hyderabad — A series of deadly road accidents involving both RTC and private buses in Telangana and Andhra Pradesh has raised serious concerns over road safety across the Telugu states.

In the latest mishap, one person was killed and eight others injured after a private travel bus rammed into a truck near Dhamajipalli in Andhra Pradesh’s Sri Sathya Sai district early Tuesday. The bus, operated by Jabbar Travels, was en route from Hyderabad to Bengaluru with 27 passengers onboard when it collided with the truck while taking a turn.

Police said the injured passengers were rushed to a nearby hospital, and an investigation into the cause of the accident is underway.

This comes just days after a horrific bus fire near Kurnool on October 24, which claimed 19 lives when a V Kaveri Travels bus caught fire after running over a motorbike. The spark and fuel leakage triggered a massive blaze, engulfing the entire vehicle.

Similarly, on Monday night, a private travel bus overturned in Eluru district, killing a 25-year-old software engineer, V. Praveen Babu, who was on his way to Hyderabad for a new job. Ten other passengers sustained injuries in the accident.

Adding to the tragedy, an RTC bus collided head-on with a tipper truck carrying construction material in Telangana’s Rangareddy district on Monday morning, also killing 19 people. The crash occurred near Mirzaguda in Chevella mandal, about 60 km from Hyderabad. Several passengers were buried under gravel when the truck rammed into the bus.

In another early Tuesday accident, 15 passengers were injured in Telangana’s Karimnagar district when an RTC bus rammed into a tractor on Renukunta Bridge. The injured were immediately shifted to a government hospital for treatment.

Union Minister of State for Home Affairs Bandi Sanjay Kumar has expressed deep concern over the recurring accidents, urging the state governments to prioritize road safety and launch public awareness campaigns.

“These repeated bus accidents are alarming. The government must take strict steps to prevent such tragedies and ensure safer roads,” he said on X (formerly Twitter).

With a growing number of fatal accidents across both states, authorities are under increasing pressure to review transport safety protocols, improve vehicle maintenance, and enforce stricter regulations for long-distance bus operators.