Chevella: If not for the quick thinking of three women constables from the Cyberabad police and over 15 of their colleagues, the death toll in the Chevella bus accident would have been much higher.The trio — armed reserve constables K Deepashri, N Vanaja, and D Padma — were on their way to work on the same route where the accident had just occurred. Reaching the spot only minutes after the crash, they swung into action, helping to rescue trapped passengers by breaking open the bus windows along with other constables and locals.“We were travelling in another bus from Tandur. The moment we saw the crowd, we got down and rushed to help,” recalled Deepashri. “Nothing prepared us for what we saw inside the bus, where people were buried neck-deep in gravel, crying for help. We broke the windows and climbed in using whatever we could find.”Speaking to TOI, Deepashri said they used the bus board and whatever tools they could find to dig through the gravel and pull people out.With no rescue teams yet on site, the three constables, joined by around 15 others constables travelling on the same route and local bystanders, began pulling survivors out with bare hands and tools.“We managed to rescue many before help arrived. We even gave CPR to seven or eight passengers,” said Vanaja, adding that they worked continuously until ambulances reached.Even in her pregnancy, Padma D refused to stand back. She helped clear traffic and guided ambulances to the accident spot. “I couldn’t climb into the bus, but I did whatever I could to make way for help,” she said quietly.The women constables and their colleagues stayed at the scene for hours, helping lift debris and carrying injured passengers to ambulances. Despite saving 15-20 lives, the memories of those they couldn’t rescue, including a 40-day-old baby, still haunt them.Vikarabad DSP Srinivas Reddy, who was on his way to office, was the first senior officer to reach the spot. “I reached the site around 6.25 am and saw several passengers trapped inside the bus,” he said. “Some of our constables who were heading for duty were already helping the victims. I joined them.”He added that about half a dozen ambulances arrived between 6.45 am and 7.15 am, followed by an earthmover to clear the gravel covering most of the bus. “Many passengers were buried under the debris. We spent nearly three hours controlling the crowd and rescuing those who were still alive,” the DSP said.Every day, these constables travel from Tandur, Parigi, Vikarabad, and Chevella to the Cyberabad commissionerate. Their presence on Monday turned into a blessing, saving lives before rescue teams could arrive.
