Chittoor/ Andra Pradesh: A bus ferrying a wedding party fell into a ravine on Saturday night killing seven and injuring 45 in Bhakarapet in Chittoor district.
The accident took place at around 11.30 pm when the private bus taking 63 people from Dharmavaram in Anantapur district to a village near Nagari in Chittoor fell into the Aduputappi valley, police said.
In the dead of the night the bus was on its way via Ghat Road when it slipped into the ravine.
According to the Superintendent of Police in Tirupati the accident happened due to driver's negligence. The injured have been shifted to a nearby hospital.
Bhakarapet is located only 25 kilometres away from the temple town of Tirupati.
The police and rescue teams had hard time, hampered by darkness, to reach the bus down to the 50 feet deep valley.
Rescue operations continued in the morning pulling out the injured using ropes.
Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy offered an ex gratia of Rs 2 lakh each to the families of the deceased and Rs 50,000 for the injured.
Further, he reportedly ensured the best possible healthcare for those who were critically injured.
Meanwhile, Governor Biswabhusan Harichandan expressed his anguish over the incident and offered condolences to the bereaved families.