Bus with failed brakes mows down 3 in Vijayawada

An APSRTC bus with failed brakes went out of control, killing three and injuring three others in a narrow Vijayawada bridge on Friday.

The bus, headed for Budameru from Gannavaram, damaged many vehicles before it hit a truck and came to a halt.

The bus belonging to the Governorpet Depot carried 50 passengers at the time of the accident.

Two people riding a scooter - Pillion riders Khursheed (40) and her son Hurshad (12), died on the spot, while another person died on the way to hospital. Khursheed had lost her husband recently and was on her way to attending a funeral.

Three more people hurt in the accidents are undergoing treatment at a local hospital.

Despite the driver's assertions that the bus' breaks have failed, the APSRTC refused to accept his explanation. "Each bus is equipped with two sets of breaks, the service break and the hand break," RTC Governorpet depot manager Rajesh Kumar told reporters.

"The driver is saying that both breaks have failed which is very rare. The vehicle is currently with the police and will be taken to the RTA before it comes to us. We will know exactly what happened once we examine the bus," he added.

Kumar also said the bus is recently overhauled and is in a good condition.

After examining the spot, Vijayawada deputy police commissioner Kanthi Rana Tata said the breaks appeared to have failed.

CCTV footage of the incident showed that the bus had hit the motorcycles from behind and ran over them.

Irate relatives of the deceased set the bus on fire but the police immediately brought the fire under control.