3 passengers hurt in bus stand stampede
Narasaraopet: Three passengers sustained serious injuries in a stampede at the APSRTC bus stand in Vinukonda on Monday as people jostled with each other to get into a bus amid festive rush.
According to reports, the bus stand witnessed an unusually large crowd as people were returning to their destinations in large numbers after the festive break. The situation turned chaotic when an RTC bus bound for Vijayawada arrived at the platform. A large number of passengers rushed to board the bus at one go, leading to a sudden stampede.
In the ensuing chaos, three individuals were seriously injured after being pushed and trampled by the crowd. Officials and bystanders immediately rushed to their aid, and the injured were shifted to a private hospital in Vinukonda town, where they are currently undergoing treatment. Doctors described their condition as serious but stable.
The injured have been identified as Chirathala Esther Rani, resident of Endapalli village in Pullala Cheruvu Mandal; Parimi Koteswaramma, from Nagireddypalli village in Nuzendla Mandal; and Bellamkonda Chinna Venkaiah, hailing from Vellaturu village in Bollapalli Mandal of Palnadu district.
The incident has raised concerns over crowd management and passenger safety at bus terminals during peak travel periods. Commuters urged the RTC authorities to deploy additional staff and implement better crowd-control measures to prevent such incidents in the future.
