Hyderabad, Nov 3: A 10-month-old child lying dead next to the body of her mother. This is perhaps the most disturbing visual that emerged from the horrific road accident in Telangana’s Rangareddy district on Monday.

The picture shows the baby, wrapped in warm clothes, under her mother’s arm, depicting the unbreakable bond.

There were heart-rending scenes after a bus-lorry collision near Mirzaguda in Chevella mandal, about 60 km from Hyderabad.

A gravel-laden tipper truck rammed into the Road Transport Corporation bus on the Hyderabad-Bijapur highway around 6.30 a.m., killing 20 people, including drivers of both vehicles. Another 20 people were injured.

The accident occurred when the bus with 72 people was coming to Hyderabad from Tandur in Vikarabad district.

As the tipper pierced through the right portion of the bus, the victims were either crushed to death or buried under the gravel.

Heart-breaking scenes were witnessed at the accident site with cries for help by those trapped in the gravel and in the mangled remains of the bus. A few passengers with blood-stained clothes were seen limping out.

The ghastly tragedy snuffed out several young lives and shattered many a dream. Those who travel every day between Tandu and Hyderabad for college and work lost their lives. These include five young women who were all students of Koti Women’s University in Hyderabad.

Three sisters, Tanusha, Saipriya and Nandini of Tandur town, lost their lives in the disaster. They were all studying at the Women’s University. While Tanusha was pursuing an MBA, Saipriya and Nandini were degree students in their first and third years, respectively.

Their father, Yellaiah Goud, was inconsolable while their mother collapsed due to shock on seeing their bodies. The eldest daughter of Goud was married last month.

The deceased students include Muskan and Akhila Reddy, both in their 20s.

A woman teacher was among those critically injured in the accident. Jayasudha was seen buried in the gravel up to the waist. She sustained grievous injuries to her legs and was admitted to Nizam’s Institute of Medical Sciences (NIMS) in Hyderabad.

Malappuram (Kerala), Nov 3: The Kerala government has once again stirred public excitement and controversy with Sports Minister V. Abdurahiman asserting that Argentine football legend Lionel Messi will play in India next year.

According to the minister, the state has received a new email from the Argentine Football Association (AFA) confirming that the G.O.A.T player Messi and his team will visit India in March.

“Two days ago, we received an email from the AFA team confirming their visit to Kerala in March,” Abdurahiman said.

He added that the match was initially planned for November but had to be deferred due to infrastructural issues at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium in Kochi.

However, this fresh claim has drawn widespread skepticism, with critics recalling the earlier unfulfilled promise of Messi’s visit.

The absence of any official agreement or confirmation from the AFA has led to questions about the government’s credibility and the procedures followed in organising what is billed as a major international sporting event.

The Opposition and sports enthusiasts have also raised concerns over why the Kochi stadium was partially dismantled for “renovation” despite the lack of a signed deal.

With no documented terms, the government is now under pressure to clarify who the sponsors are, what the contractual commitments were, and whether due diligence was observed.

Adding to the controversy, it has emerged that the sponsors involved in the initiative have alleged links to the notorious Muttil tree felling case despite the government’s previous assurances that it would not engage with tainted entities.

As anticipation mixes with disbelief, many are demanding transparency and official documentation to substantiate the minister’s claim.

For now, Messi’s supposed Kerala appearance remains more of a political talking point than a confirmed sporting event, a story that continues to keep football fans across the country guessing and critics on edge.

If the world cup winning team led by Messi lands on Kerala’s soil, the timing of the visit will add a feather to the cap of the now beleaguered Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, who is caught in a few scams which the Congress-led UDF is playing up. More importantly by then Kerala will be at the peak of election campaigning fever for the Assembly polls.

New Delhi, Nov 3: Former England spinner Monty Panesar praised the Indian women’s cricket team’s first-ever World Cup win, calling it the biggest since 2011, when the men’s team won the World Cup in India after a 28-year wait.

India defeated South Africa by 52 runs to secure their first-ever ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup title at the DY Patil Stadium in Navi Mumbai on Sunday.

“It’s absolutely brilliant to see the women win the World Cup final — probably the biggest victory in the history of Indian women’s cricket. It’s a huge moment, the biggest since 2011, when the men’s team won the World Cup in India. Congratulations to the women’s team!” Panesar told Media.

“This is a truly monumental moment for Indian women’s cricket. They can now believe they can achieve anything — that they can become number one. And they’ve certainly done just that. Congratulations once again to the Indian women’s team,” he added.

Deepti Sharma and Shafali Verma starred with both bat and ball to help India achieve a hard-fought victory after South Africa won the toss and chose to bowl.

Chasing 299, South Africa seemed well placed at one point to reach the target, but Deepti’s breakthrough caused a dramatic collapse. After she dismissed Annerie Dercksen, the Proteas crumbled from 209/5 to 246 all out.

Captain Laura Wolvaardt (101) led from the front with a splendid century, but wickets fell regularly at the other end. Deepti was the outstanding performer with the ball, finishing with excellent figures of 5/39, while Shafali Verma and Sree Charani contributed key wickets to secure a historic win for India.

The victory was special for captain Harmanpreet Kaur, who was one of five players at the tournament to be appearing at their fifth World Cup. The India skipper made her international debut at the 2009 edition of the event in Australia in a 10-wicket victory over Pakistan.