Bhubaneswar, March 26 -- A devastating road accident in Andhra Pradesh's Prakasam district claimed 13 lives after a private bus collided with a tipper lorry near Rayavaram on Thursday. Around 20 passengers were rescued and rushed to nearby hospitals for treatment, officials said.

The bus, operated by Harikrishna Travels, was travelling from Nirmal in Telangana to Nellore when the collision occurred near slab quarries. Following the impact, the bus caught fire and was completely gutted, raising fears that several passengers may have been burnt alive.

District police confirmed that the injured were shifted to multiple hospitals for medical care. Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu spoke to officials to review the situation and enquired ab...