No Mortuary Van Available, Telangana Family Carries Body On Foot; Political Row Erupts

Last Updated:May 25, 2026, 15:03 IST

BRS working president KT Rama Rao accused the Congress government of pushing Telangana back into "distress and humiliation."

A distressing incident in Telangana’s Bhadrachalam town has highlighted alleged lapses in hospital response after a grieving family was forced to carry the body of their relative on foot due to a lack of transport.

The incident took place in Bhadradri Kothagudem district, where Kande Venkanna (42), a resident of Subhash Nagar, was taken to a local area hospital on Sunday evening after suffering from severe heatstroke.

Doctors at the hospital declared him dead and shifted the body to the mortuary, according to reports.

However, the family, unable to afford private transport, says they repeatedly requested hospital authorities to arrange a mortuary van. Despite their appeals, they alleged that no vehicle was provided even after waiting for nearly two hours.

With no alternative left, the family was seen carrying the body on their shoulders for about a kilometre, a scene that left onlookers in shock and raised questions about the hospital’s response mechanism during emergencies.

Hospital and district officials have reportedly taken cognisance of the incident after videos and photographs surfaced on social media. A preliminary inquiry has been initiated to determine why a hearse was not made available in time.

The episode soon escalated into a political controversy, with BRS leaders criticising the Congress government over the state of healthcare and emergency services in Telangana.

BRS working president KT Rama Rao accused the Congress government of pushing Telangana back into “distress and humiliation."

“Just one incident is enough to understand how terribly Telangana has deteriorated under Congress rule. During KCR’s government, even the last journey of a poor person was treated with dignity through dedicated mortuary transport services. Today, families are being forced to carry dead bodies on their shoulders. This is heartbreaking and shameful," he wrote in a post on X.

He further alleged that while the government was spending heavily on publicity campaigns, political tours, and events, it was failing to provide basic emergency services to poor people.

BRS leader T Harish Rao also criticised the government, stating that “Telangana’s public healthcare system under the Congress government is becoming deeply disturbing and heartbreaking".

“What happened to the 108 emergency services and the hearse vehicle services introduced during KCR garu’s government for poor and vulnerable families? These are not just administrative failures; they reflect the painful suffering of poor people who depend entirely on government healthcare systems during emergencies, childbirth, illness, and death," he said.

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