Some 50 passengers travelling by an APSRTC bus from Visakhapatnam to Rajahmundry escaped from the jaws of death, miraculously, when the bus plunged into a 30-foot-deep gorge near Kokkurapalli under Elamanchili police station limits in the wee hours of Monday.
Of the 50 passengers, 22 suffered injuries, of whom five suffered serious injuries, and were sent to a private hospital in Visakhapatnam, and the remaining were sent to area hospitals of Elamanchili and Anakapalli for treatment.
The passengers blamed the driver, as they claimed that he was driving in a drowsy condition. At around 4 a.m. the driver lost control of the bus and the vehicle plunged into the gorge. APSRTC and police personnel from Anakapalli and Elamanchili rushed to the spot and arranged for rescue and relief operation.
