Rangareddy: At least 20 people, including a 10-month-old baby, were killed after a passenger bus collided with a gravel-laden truck on the Hyderabad-Bijapur highway early Monday morning. The accident occurred near Manneguda in Telangana’s Rangareddy district, about 60 km from Hyderabad.

The Telangana State Road Transport Corporation (TSRTC) bus was travelling from Tandur in Vikarabad district to Hyderabad with around 70 passengers on board. Police said the truck, carrying construction gravel, overturned during the collision, causing the load to fall into the bus and trap several passengers inside.

Among the victims were 10 women and the drivers of both vehicles. Several others were injured and taken to a nearby government hospital, where some are reported to be in serious condition.

Rescue workers and police teams faced difficulties removing the trapped passengers as the bus was filled with gravel. They had to cut open parts of the vehicle to reach those buried inside. Officials said the front section and the six rows behind the driver’s seat were completely crushed, leaving little chance of survival for those seated there.

Telangana Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy expressed condolences to the victims’ families and directed officials to ensure immediate medical aid and assistance at the site. An investigation is underway to determine the exact cause of the accident.