NEW DELHI, March 26 (Xinhua) -- Over a dozen people died and around 25 were injured when the private bus they were travelling in collided head-on with a vehicle coming from the opposite direction in India's southern state of Andhra Pradesh early on Thursday, a local police official confirmed.

Officials inspect the debris of a private bus after it collided with a vehicle in Markapuram district of Andhra Pradesh state, India, March 26, 2026. Over a dozen people died and around 25 were injured when the private bus they were travelling in collided head-on with a vehicle coming from the opposite direction in India's southern state of Andhra Pradesh early on Thursday, a local police official confirmed. (Photo: Xinhua)

The mishap occurred in the Markapuram district in Andhra Pradesh. The death toll was feared to rise as five persons among the injured were said to be in a critical condition.

Both the vehicles caught fire immediately after the collision, thus giving very little time for the passengers to escape to safety, the police said. ■

A firefighter stands near a burnt private bus after it collided with a vehicle in Markapuram district of Andhra Pradesh state, India, March 26, 2026. Over a dozen people died and around 25 were injured when the private bus they were travelling in collided head-on with a vehicle coming from the opposite direction in India's southern state of Andhra Pradesh early on Thursday, a local police official confirmed. (Photo: Xinhua)