A horrendous accident took place in southern India’s Andhra Pradesh where a lorry crashed into a school bus resulting in severe injuries to the driver and school kids.

The incident took place on National Highway 16 near Kavali in Nellore district on July 2.

Visuals showed the heartbreaking aftermath of the accident, with parents and caretakers of the children crowded in the emergency ward. The ward was chaotic, filled with the caretakers being emotional, while hospital staff worked tirelessly to treat the injured children. Other footage showed a child lying unconscious on the road, appearing to have severe injuries. The bus was also heavily damaged from the collision.

According to officials, State Education Minister, Nara Lokesh, expressed deep concerns over the incident and stated, “The incident of a lorry hitting a school bus near Kavali today has left me deeply worried. Sadly, a cleaner dies in an accident. The authorities have been ordered to provide immediate better treatment to the children injured in the accident. School owners should keep all the buses in good condition. I request you to be very vigilant about the fitness of the buses.”

According to reports, the bus involved in the tragic collision belonged to RSR International School. Reportedly the collision resulted in the instant death of the bus cleaner, D. Chinna Malakondaiah aged 60 years, and injured more than 15 students and staff members. The bus, carrying 36 students and staff, was only a short distance from the school when the accident occurred. While the local police arrived swiftly at the site of the accident.

Allegedly, the police have filed a case and have started investigating the matter while the dead body of the bus driver was sent for postmortem examination.