Kalaburagi accident: Medical expenses of injured to be borne by district administration

A group of 20 members of a family had been to Goa from Secunderabad in Telangana on May 28 and were returning home in a private bus when the mishap took place

The Health Department staff found it difficult to extricate mortal remains of those who were burnt alive after the bus in which they were travelling caught fire when it crashed into a goods vehicle on the outskirts of Kamalapur taluk in the district in the early hours of Friday.

A group of 20 members of a family had been to Goa from Secunderabad in Telangana on May 28 for a vacation and were returning home in a private bus when the mishap took place.

Though the accident took place at around 6.30 am, the bodies were extricated only after 12 pm. Fire and emergency service personnel rushed to the spot and doused the fire. As the bus had fallen into a ditch, it had to be lifted out. It was pulled out of the accident spot at 11.30 am with the help of two cranes. As the bodies were charred beyond recognition, the police summoned forensic staff including doctors to collect samples.

The Health Department staff started extricating the burnt bodies only after the relatives and friends of the deceased rushed to the spot. While removing the charred bodies, the staff found their half burnt belongings like bags, currency notes, earphones among others. Those who arrived from Hyderabad to identify the bodies were seen showing the beyond-recognition mortal remains to their relatives to help identify them through a video call.

The police sources said the driver who was at wheel escaped with minor injuries. Those who were injured in the accident were immediately shifted to United Hospital in the City. Hospital sources said some of the patients sustained minor burns and others were in shock due to the impact of the accident and all are stable now.

Medical expenses

Union Minister of State for Fertilisers and Renewable Energy Bhagwanth Khuba visited the hospital and inquired the health of the injured in the mishap on Friday evening.

The minister said the medical expenses of the injured patients will be borne by the district administration. The district administration and the district police have taken all steps to identify the bodies and hand them over to their relatives, he explained. Khuba assured that suitable compensation will be given to the deceased by speaking to chief ministers of Karnataka and Telangana states and the officials concerned of the union government.

MLC B G Patil, former minister Revunaik Belamagi and other elected representatives visited the accident spot.