Karimnagar:Two passengers were seriously injured and several others sustained minor wounds when a TGSRTC bus, operated by a hired driver, collided with a lorry on Wednesday morning near the Kothirampur bypass in Karimnagar district.

The bus, belonging to the Karimnagar-2 depot, was heading for Warangal.

The accident sparked public anger over the use of inexperienced drivers to run buses during the ongoing state-wide RTC strike. According to eyewitnesses, the privately hired driver lost control of the vehicle at the Alugunur-Kothirampur stretch. The bus rammed into an oncoming truck and crashed onto a road divider, leaving the front portion of the bus completely damaged.

The seriously injured passengers were rushed to the Karimnagar government hospital. Local residents and passersby rushed to the spot to rescue those trapped inside the damaged vehicle.

The accident has intensified the backlash against the RTC management’s decision to use temporary, non-regular staff.

The strike paralysed transport services across districts, as most buses remained in their depots.

Police have registered a case and started an investigation into the mishap.