Visakhapatnam: Around 41 passengers had a providential escape when the bus they were travelling in overturned after a truck rammed into it sideways at high speed at NAD Junction on NH-16 in the early hours of Wednesday.The private travel bus was on its way from Vijayawada to Rajam in Srikakulam district. Passengers were fast asleep at the time of the mishap, which occurred at around 4.15 am. The impact of the crash was so severe that the bus tipped over to its side and came to a halt after skidding for several yards.While there were no casualties, around 26 passengers were hurt, with some of them suffering grievous injuries.Authorities at King George Hospital (KGH) said of the injured, the condition of three people - R Kantham (45), K Sarojini (55) and A Gowtham Kumar (29) is critical. Another passenger T Ramesh (25), whose left leg was fractured in the accident , left hospital against medical advice (AMA). A majority of the passengers received minor fractures and injuries on their head and limbs.The bus, belonging to Venkata Ramana Travels, was crossing the NAD Junction when the speeding truck going to the port from Gopalapatnam crashed into it in an attempt to cross the junction.Drivers of other trucks passing through the area immediately rushed to the rescue of the passengers trapped in the overturned bus. They broke the window panes of the bus and pulled the passengers out with the help of ropes, said a passer-by named Chalumuri Ramakrishna. The passengers were in a state of shock and bewilderment, Ramakrishna said.“I was on my way to Penugonda in West Godavari in my vehicle when I saw the accident happen in front of me. A middle-aged woman was severely injured and her hand badly mangled in the mishap. Passengers were crying on the road and were in a state of shock. It was a terrible sight early in the morning,” said Ramakrishna.

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