In a harrowing road accident early Thursday morning, at least 18 passengers sustained injuries—several of them critical—when a private luxury bus collided with a truck on National Highway 167. The mishap occurred between Narsireddypally and Jakler villages in Telangana’s Narayanpet district. The ill-fated bus was en route from Shivamogga, Karnataka to Hyderabad, carrying 29 passengers at the time of the crash.

According to initial police reports, the collision occurred due to overspeeding, as the bus rammed into the rear end of a truck traveling in the same direction. The front of the bus was severely mangled from the impact. Emergency responders rushed to the scene and provided immediate first aid at Makthal Government Hospital before shifting the injured to better-equipped hospitals in Raichur and Mahabubnagar for advanced treatment.

Among the critically injured was the bus driver, while the truck driver reportedly fled the scene immediately after the incident. Authorities have registered a case and launched an investigation into the circumstances leading to the crash. The incident has once again raised questions about the enforcement of speed limits and the safety of long-distance private bus operations across highways.