52 killed as bus falls into gorge in Telangana
Hyderabad, Sep 11: In a ghastly tragedy, as many as 52 people were killed and more than 20 others injured when a state-run overcrowded bus fell into a gorge in Telangana's Jagtial district on Tuesday.
The bus belonging to the Telangana State Road Transport Corp (TSRTC) fell off Kondagattu Ghat Road while returning from Anjaneya Swamy temple atop Kondagattu Hills, about 190 km from Hyderabad.
The bus, carrying more than 70 passengers, met with the accident when the driver reportedly lost control at a speed breaker.
Finance Minister Etela Rajender told reports at Jagtial that 52 people were killed in the disaster. He said 47 bodies were brought to Jagtial Hospital while five people succumbed at a hospital in Karimnagar.
The dead include driver B. Srinivas. Officials said the victims include 26 women and 10 children. The toll could go up as the condition of some of the injured was stated to be critical.
The injured were shifted to a government hospital in Jagtial. A few critically injured were taken to hospitals in Karimnagar and Hyderabad.
Chief Minister K. Chandrashekhar Rao expressed shock over the accident. He announced Rs 5 lakh ex-gratia each for the families of the dead.
Jagtial district Superintendent of Police Sindhu Sharma said the accident occurred around 11 a.m. when the bus was coming down from the hill and was to join the highway.
The driver apparently applied brakes at a speed breaker and the passengers who were standing fell onto one side, tilting the bus which then hurtled down after breaking an iron railing.
The victims belonged to Jagtial and Peddapalli districts.
Heart rending scenes were witnessed at the accident site as some of the injured lay amid bodies crying for help. Wailing relatives of the victims crowded Jagtial Hospital, where the medical staff struggled to deal with the large number of casualties.
Meanwhile, locals voiced their anger against the authorities over poor condition of the road and the alleged negligence of TSRTC.
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World Test Championship final-bound South African players likely to miss IPL playoffs
Johannesburg (PTI): South African players who have been picked for the World Test Championship Final against Australia are likely to miss the IPL playoffs as the country's cricket board is standing firm on prioritising national duty over league commitments.
The BCCI confirmed on Monday that the IPL will resume on May 17 with the final slated for June 3.
However, the revised schedule has left players from WTC finalists Australia and South Africa in a tight spot. The franchises and the BCCI have urged foreign boards to make their players available for the remainder of the tournament.
CSA, however, has reiterated its commitment to WTC Final preparations.
"It is an individual decision, obviously, to return or to play or continue," CSA's director of national teams and high performance Enoch Nkwe said during press conference.
"One thing we've made clear, and we are finalising this with the IPL and the BCCI, is sticking to our original plan when it comes to the WTC preparations."
"May 26 is the latest for the Test guys to come back. The original plans don't change because the No. 1 priority is the WTC final. We've been engaging with them over the last day or two to make sure we're all on the same page," he added.
Eight South African players -- Kagiso Rabada (Gujarat Titans), Lungi Ngidi (Royal Chalengers Bengaluru), Tristan Stubbs (Delhi Capitals), Aiden Markram (Lucknow Super Giants), Ryan Rickelton (Mumbai Indians), Corbin Bosch (MI), Marco Jansen (Punjab Kings) and Wiaan Mulder (Sunrisers Hyderabad) -- have been named in the Proteas squad for the WTC Final, scheduled to start from June 11 in London.
Currently, GT, RCB, MI, PBKS, DC and LSG are in contention for an IPL playoff spot.
South Africa head coach Shukri Conrad echoed CSA's stance.
"Our initial agreement with IPL-BCCI was, with the final being on the 25th, our players would return on the 26th, so that it allows them ample time before we fly out on the 30th. As it stands, we're not budging on this. We want our players back on the 26th," he said.
"That is the ongoing conversations that are being had between people in a higher pay grade than I am. They're dealing with that. We want our players back on the 26th and hopefully that comes to fruition."
The IPL season was suspended on May 9 due to a military confrontation between India and Pakistan, triggered by the April 22 terrorist attack in Pahalgam, South Kashmir. A ceasefire announced the following day paved the way for the tournament's resumption.
As per the new schedule, the league stage ends on May 27, with playoffs running from May 29 to June 3, dates that clash with CSA's WTC preparations.
While CSA has taken a strong position, Cricket Australia has allowed its players to decide individually, and the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) is set to review its No Objection Certificates (NOCs).
