TIRUPATI:

A nine-month-old child and a 17-year-old girl died on the spot in a bus accident near Udumuvaripalli village in Pullampeta mandal, Tirupati district, in the early hours of Monday (June 22, 2026). Another girl died while being shifted to hospital, taking the toll to three. More than 15 persons were seriously injured. The passengers were from Kadapa, Tirupati and SPSR Nellore districts.

According to the police, the accident took place on the Kadapa-Renigunta road (NH-716) when an APSRTC bus of the Kadapa depot, heading from Kadapa towards Tirupati, collided head-on with a truck travelling from Erraguntla towards Chennai, at around 1.30 a.m. on Monday.

The police suspect the truck driver dozed off and rammed into the bus head-on. The right side of the bus was completely damaged.

On being informed, Kodur Rural Circle Inspector D. Srinivasulu and his staff rushed to the scene and shifted the injured to the government hospital in Rajampet in police vehicles and ambulances. Later, all the injured were referred to the Rajiv Gandhi Institute of Medical Sciences (RIMS) in Kadapa for advanced treatment.

The deceased were identified as Puneeth Sai (nine months) and Yashwitha (17). Another passenger, K. Jaswika (16), died of multiple injuries while undergoing treatment.

Health Minister Satya Kumar Yadav spoke to the doctors and medical staff at RIMS about the treatment of the injured. The officials told the Minister that two of the injured who were treated at the Rajampet hospital had been discharged on Monday morning, and that the others were being treated at RIMS.

Transport Minister Mandipalli Ramprasad Reddy, expressing shock over the accident, directed officials to ensure immediate treatment for the injured. He conveyed his condolences to the families of the deceased.

He instructed officials to ensure the best medical care for the injured, and enquired about the condition of the victims undergoing treatment. He directed that those with severe injuries be shifted to advanced medical centres.

Wishing the injured a speedy recovery, the Minister assured the affected families of the government’s full support. He spoke to the officials concerned over the phone about road safety standards and the details of the bus and the truck involved, and advised them to take steps to prevent such accidents in future.

According to the police’s initial investigation, the insurance and permit of the APSRTC bus had expired three years ago.