Bhupalapalli: Even before the horrifying memory of Veldurthi bus accident which claimed 15 lives faded, an RTC bus fell into a gorge and turned turtle in Jaishankar-Bhupalapalli district on Wednesday. Of the 63 passengers who were on board, 35 passengers are believed to be injured severely. Passengers say the incident happened when the driver, negligent to the core, left the steering wheel to chew Gutka when the bus was on a bridge.

The Godavarikani depot bus was on its way to Bhupalapalli from Godavarikani when the incident took place. When the bus was on Maneru bridge abutting a nine metre gorge, the driver instead of being extra cautious was purportedly took out a pack of Gutka, opened it, spread it in his palm before chewing. All this was done being behind the wheel. Even before he could realise, the driver lost the balance and the bus fell into a valley of sorts by the roadside. The bus turned upside down.

Realising that he could be beaten up, the driver got out of the bus immediately and fled the place. The police who appeared on the scene immediately shifted the injured to a local hospital. The condition of five passengers is believed to be extremely critical. The police filed a case and launched a manhunt to nab the negligent driver.

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