Within hours of the accident involving the Telugu Velugu (ordinary) bus of the APSRTC that took 15 lives when it fell into a 30-feet deep ditch, the management ordered an internal probe into the reasons.
When contacted, Secretary to the Board and Executive Director M. Ravinder said prima facie it looked like the accident that occurred because of ongoing road works at the spot.
“We will examine the possibility of driver error in negotiating the stretch and his judgement that could have led to the tyre getting off the bus at the kerb cutting,” he said. IT Minister Palle Raghunath Reddy, who was camping in Anantapur, asked the APSRTC officials and the district administration to render all possible assistance to the injured. Health Minister P. Narayana and others also rushed to the spot.
APSRTC MD (in-charge) K.V.V. Gopal Rao asked senior officials to monitor the situation and extend all assistance. Governor of AP & Telangana E.S.L. Narasimhan, Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu, Nandamuri Balakrishna, Rajya Sabha Member K. Chiranjeevi and a host of VIPs expressed their regrets at the loss of life.
