At least 24 killed in bus-truck collision in Telangana, India

At least 24 people were killed and 18 others injured after a passenger bus collided head-on with a truck in the southern Indian state of Telangana, Hindustan Times reports.

The accident occurred as the bus, carrying about 70 passengers, was heading toward Hyderabad, the state capital. The truck was reportedly transporting gravel and rammed into the bus with such force that part of its load spilt onto the vehicle, trapping several passengers inside.

Rescue teams rushed to the scene, using excavators to help free those trapped in the wreckage.

Preliminary investigations suggest that excessive speed and loss of control by the truck driver were the likely causes of the crash.

Among the deceased were the drivers of both the bus and the truck, as well as a ten-month-old infant with its mother, police said.

Authorities have launched an inquiry into the incident.

By Khagan Isayev