The Hindu : Front Page : Bus with 44 aboard plunges into tank

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Tuesday, Nov 22, 2005

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Bus with 44 aboard plunges into tank

Staff Reporter

15 injured in accident involving Hyderabad-bound bus near Narketpally

CLOSE SHAVE: The hi-tech private bus which plunged into Gachhuguri tank at Yerasanigudem on NH-9, near Narketpally, on Monday

YERASANIGUDEM: A private bus with 44 passengers, including the driver and cleaner, on board plunged into a roadside tank leaving 15 of them injured between Kattamgur and Narketpally on the national highway no.9 in the early hours of Monday.

The Hyderabad-bound hi-tech bus (AP 9X 9779), which started at Rajahmundry at 8.30 p.m. on Sunday, veered off the road, hit a roadside guard stone and fell into Gachhuguri tank on the outskirts of Yerasanigudem. The passengers who were in deep sleep woke up only to find themselves in water slowly entering inside the bus. The passengers sitting on the left portion of the bus had to bore the brunt as commuters occupying the seats on the right side as well as their luggage fell on them with a heavy force. It took about ten minutes for them to wriggle out of the horrific chaos inside. Had the bus overturned in the tank waters, it would have been disastrous for the commuters.

The passengers found fault with driver Ravi (35), who was half asleep while driving. "I sat beside him in the cabin. He was dozing off all the time. In fact, he lost the control of the steering so many times and I warned him to be careful," Shiva, a youngster, told The Hindu.

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