Andhra Pradesh: 7 killed as marriage party bus plunges into Sagar Canal in Darsi

Seven including a child were killed after a bus they were travelling in plunged into a canal near Darsi town in Prakasam district. The driver tried to avoid running over something that suddenly came in front of the bus and then hit a concrete structure, which led to the bus plunging vertically into the canal, said Prakasam SP Malika Garg.

Darsi (Andhra Pradesh): At least seven persons were killed after a state-run bus carrying a wedding party plunged into Nagarjuna Sagar Project Canal (NSP Canal) near Darsi town in Andhra Pradesh's Prakasam district during the wee hours on Tuesday, officials said. The deceased include a six year old and a dozen others who were travelling in the bus were injured in the mishap.

The deceased were identified as Abdul Aziz (65), Abdul Hani (60), Sheikh Rameez (48), Mulla Noorjahan (58), Mulla Jani Begum (65), Sheikh Shabeena (35), and Sheikh Heena (6) of Podili village. The accident took place when the bus was heading to Kakinada in the erstwhile East Godavari district from Podili in Prakasam district.

Prakasam Superintendent of Police Malika Garg, who called on the victims of the accident, said that the bus driver swerved the vehicle to the left side to avoid hitting something that suddenly came in front of the bus. Then, the bus hit a concrete structure when the driver lost control over the vehicle which jumped over the railings and fell into the canal, the SP said.

The hired RTC bus started journey at Podili at 12.35 am and met with accident at around 12.50 am. As the bus plunged vertically into the canal, those sitting in the front seats came under heavy impact and lost their lives.

Preliminary investigations revealed there were 35 to 40 people in the bus at the time of the accident. The passersby alerted the police and launched the rescue efforts immediately after the accident. Police who rushed to the spot joined the rescue operations. The injured were rushed to hospitals in the vicinity and the bodies of the deceased were moved to the district government hospital for postmortem examination.

The wedding party has hired an Andhra Pradesh Road Transport Corporation (APSRTC) bus to attend a wedding reception in Kakinada. The bus was heading for the reception when the mishap occurred. A pall of gloom has descended in Podili from where the group began their journey.

AP Chief Minister Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy expressed shock and grief over the death of some members of the marriage party in the Darsi road accident. He conveyed his condolences to the bereaved family members. The Chief Minister ordered the Prakasam district officials and the health department to provide best medical care to the injured victims.