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Hyderabad, Oct 24 (IANS) The Telangana government has launched a helpline to provide assistance to family members of passengers involved in the bus fire in Andhra Pradesh that left 11 people burnt alive and several missing and critically injured.
A private travel operator’s bus, en route from Hyderabad to Bengaluru, caught fire near Chinnatekur village in Kurnool district after it hit a two-wheeler and dragged it for some distance, causing sparks that could have caused a massive fire.
Chief Secretary K Ramakrishna Rao issued orders regarding the helpline.
The Telangana government has set up a helpline with the following officials to facilitate the family members of the passengers involved in the bus accident:
1. M. Shri Ram Chandra, Assistant Secretary 9912919545
2. E. Chitti Babu, Section Officer 9440854433 3.
The Director, Department of Protocol, Hyderabad will monitor the functioning of the helpline.
Earlier, Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy directed officials to set up a helpline without delay and ordered Gadwal District Collector and SP to visit the accident site immediately.
He spoke to Andhra Pradesh officials and directed Telangana state officials to coordinate and provide all necessary assistance. He also discussed the incident with the state Chief Secretary and Director General of Police (DGP) and directed them to take immediate action.
Eleven passengers were burnt to death in the accident, while nine others could not be traced. Many people escaped the fire after breaking the emergency exit window at the rear of the bus.
There were 41 passengers including two children in the Vakaveri Travels bus.
The accident occurred around 3.30 am when a bike collided with the bus and got stuck under its belly, causing sparks.
Kurnool District Collector A. Siri told media persons at the crash site that they had located 21 of the 41 people on board. Eleven of these 21 were taken to hospitals in Kurnool.
“We have not been able to trace 20 yet. Bodies of 11 of them have been recovered. Nine passengers are still unaccounted for,” he said.
Meanwhile, Andhra Pradesh Transport Minister M. Ramaprasad Reddy rushed to the accident site. He expressed grief over the accident and expressed his deepest condolences to the families of the victims.
–IANS
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