VIJAYAWADA: Three people, including a 10-month-old boy, were killed when an Andhra Pradesh State Road Transport Corporation (APSRTC) bus accidentally crashed into a platform at Pandit Nehru Bus Stand (PNBS) in Vijayawada on Monday morning.
Chief Minister Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy expressed grief over the loss of lives and announced an ex-gratia of Rs 10 lakh to the bereaved families.
According to RTC officials, the driver accidentally engaged the wrong gear instead of the reverse gear at platform 12 and the vehicle jumped on the platform where the passengers were waiting.
Krishna Lanka circle inspector MV Durga Rao said the three deceased were identified as outsourcing bus conductor, Yadlapalli Veeraiah, a 45-year-old passenger named Motani Kumari and her grandson Kaati Aayansh.
The incident took place at around 8:30 am when the Guntur-bound metro luxury AC bus, belonging to Autonagar depot, entered the PNBS premises and halted at platform 12. As many as 20 passengers had boarded the bus. It was about to depart from platform 12 to Guntur when the driver, M Prakasam, tried to reverse the bus by shifting the gear. However, it got stuck. Amid the confusion, the driver brought the vehicle to first gear and accelerated it.
Glitch in gearbox suspected to be cause of bus accident
As the bus crashed into the platform, the three passengers were crushed under the wheels before it came to a halt after hitting a ticket counter.
APSRTC vice-chairman and managing director Ch Dwaraka Tirumala Rao rushed to the spot and took stock of the situation. He said an inquiry has been ordered and action will be taken within 24 hours.
Speaking to reporters, Rao said, “Mishap might have occurred due to a technical glitch in the gearbox. Action would be initiated based on the inquiry report.
The RTC would provide a compensation of Rs 5 lakh to the bereaved families and would bear medical expenses of those who were injured.”
“We have called for a detailed probe into the incident. The experts’ committee will find out the actual reasons behind the mishap as the bus is in good condition,” he added. An eye-witness, Ratta Reddy, who runs a shop at the bus station told TNIE, “The bus suddenly jumped on the passengers sitting on the benches, leaving no scope for them to escape. It all happened in a fraction of seconds.”
No accident record on the bus driver
The driver of the ill-fated bus, who will retire in a few months, has a remarkable track record. M Prakasam reportedly joined the service as a technician 30 years ago and later became a driver. The 61-year-old used to drive super luxury buses between Vijayawada and Bengaluru till recently. After recovering from an illness, Prakasam was asked to run short-distance bus services