Copyright thehindu
A majority of the 19 victims who lost their lives in Monday morning’s bus–truck collision near Mirjaguda–Khanapur road in Chevella mandal, Ranga Reddy district, suffered fatal head injuries and multiple trauma, according to forensic experts who conducted the post-mortem. Preliminary reports also revealed no signs of intoxication in either drivers, they said. A doctor from Osmania General Hospital (OGH), who was part of the medical team sent from Hyderabad to Chevella Community Health Centre (CHC), described the situation at the scene as deeply distressing. “90% of the victims suffered head injuries and multiple injuries. There was also an infant who is suspected to have died due to suffocation, although the exact cause can be confirmed after the final report comes out,” the doctor said. He also confirmed that preliminary examinations revealed no signs of intoxication in either driver, though final toxicology results would be confirmed by the Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL). Soon after the accident, Health Minister C. Damodar Raja Narasimha, Commissioner of Health and Family Welfare Sangeetha Satyanarayana and Telangana Vaidya Vidhana Parishad (TVVP) Commissioner Dr. Ajaya Kumar visited the Chevella CHC to monitor the situation. The officials remained at the hospital until all post-mortem examinations were completed and the bodies were handed over to the families. The forensic teams from Hyderabad worked in close coordination with local doctors at the Chevella CHC to complete the post-mortem. Initially, authorities had planned to shift the bodies and the injured to Osmania General Hospital in Hyderabad. However, the plan was later revised, with post-mortems being conducted at the Chevella CHC itself and treatment for the injured continuing at nearby hospitals. “The local staff began the process before we arrived. We took up the cases involving the drivers and those seated near them, while the local doctors handled passengers whose causes of death were evident,” the doctor explained. All 19 post-mortems were completed by Monday afternoon. “Even when the cause of death is apparent, the procedures are carried out for insurance and medico-legal documentation,” he added. Meanwhile, 14 injured individuals, eight men and six women, are undergoing treatment at Patnam Mahender Reddy Institute of Medical Sciences. Their injuries included head trauma, nasal bleeding, facial injuries, rib fractures, scalp lacerations and bone fractures. One patient, identified as 21-year-old Rebariboni Nandhini, was shifted to Nizam’s Institute of Medical Sciences (NIMS), Hyderabad, for further treatment. “All the injured are in stable condition,” said Ranga Reddy District Medical and Health Officer (DMHO) Venkateshwar Rao.
