14 people, including a child, on a pilgrimage tour were killed as a bus and truck collided on a national highway at Kurnool in Indian state of Andhra Pradesh early this morning, reports NDTV.
Only four children survived the accident but two of them are in serious condition. Based on Aadhaar cards and phone numbers, the police are gathering details.
The accident took place near a village in Veldurti Mandal of the state's Kurnool district. The mini bus, which was carrying 18 people, hit the road divider at a high speed, fell over the divider and collided with a lorry coming from the opposite direction, on the other side of the road.
"There were 18 people in the vehicle at the time of the accident. The accident took place around 4 am at Veldurti Mandal, near Madapuram, about 25 km from Kurnool," the Kurnool police chief K Fakirappa told NDTV.
"The group was going from Madanapalle in Chittoor district to Ajmer in Rajasthan," he said. The people were crushed inside the vehicles and the bodies had to be extricated using machinery.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed grief at the incident and his office tweeted: "The road accident in Andhra Pradesh's Kurnool district is saddening. In this hour of sadness, my thoughts are with those who lost their loved ones. I hope that the injured recover at the earliest."
Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy expressed shock over the incident. He instructed officials to expedite relief work and medical help, and conveyed his condolences to the family members of those who have died. He also wished the injured a speedy recovery.
Police are investigating if the driver was sleepy or if there was a tyre burst and the vehicle went out of control.
Today's accident comes two days after a tourist bus overturned and fell into a gorge in Visakhapatnam district of Andhra Pradesh. Four people were killed and many were injured in the accident. The bus plunged into a 200-foot valley on Visakhapatnam Ghat Road.