Overspeeding bus goes up in flames; passengers safe

Ongole: Failure to comply with road safety guidelines once again proved costly. A sleepy driver of an overspeeding bus carrying 18 passengers rammed into a lorry travelling in front of it. The passengers escaped from the bus just before the diesel tank exploded and flames engulfed it.

A bus belonging to Orange Travels, bearing registration number AP 28 TD 1412, was going to Chennai from Hyderabad on Tuesday night. It reached Veerepalli on the border of Ulavapadu and Gudluru mandals of Praksam district in the early hours of Wednesday and hit a lorry in front of it.

The impact of the collision threw the lorry off the road and overturned it. As the collision sparked fire in the engine of the bus, the shocked passengers escaped through front door and emergency exits.

The fire and police officials reached the spot and tried to control the fire. They shifted the passengers, who suffered minor burns to the government hospital in Kavali, and made alternative arrangements for the passengers to reach their destination.

The officials blamed the Orange Travels management for not allotting an extra driver as the bus was to ply for about 600 kilometres. They said that the sleepiness of the driver was the main reason for losing control of the bus.

Lakshman, CI of Kandukur said that primary investigation revealed that the driver was sleepy and lost control of the bus.