PM Modi condoles Andhra accident, announces ex-gratia support

New Delhi, Dec 12: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday expressed deep sorrow over the fatal bus accident in Andhra Pradesh’s Alluri Sitharama Raju district, where at least nine people were killed and several others injured after a private travel agency bus plunged into a ditch late Thursday.

In a message posted by the Prime Minister’s Office on X, Modi said he was “pained by the loss of lives” and extended his condolences to the families of the victims.

He also wished a swift recovery to those injured.

The Prime Minister announced an ex-gratia payment of Rs 2 lakh from the Prime Minister’s National Relief Fund (PMNRF) for the next of kin of each deceased, and Rs 50,000 for those injured.

Police said the accident took place on the Chintur-Maredumilli Ghat Road.

The bus was carrying around 40 pilgrims from Chittoor district who were travelling to Bhadrachalam in Telangana after visiting several temples.

Many of the injured were shifted to hospitals in Bhadrachalam for treatment.