A night bus from Hyderabad to Bengaluru turned into a death trap early Friday when it caught fire after colliding with a motorcycle on the Hyderabad–Bengaluru National Highway near Chinna Tekuru village in Andhra Pradesh’s Kurnool district. At least twenty passengers were burnt to death, while a dozen others escaped with injuries.
The luxury sleeper coach, operated by Kaveri Travels, was carrying around forty passengers when the accident occurred around 3:30 a.m. Police said the bus hit a two-wheeler that strayed onto its path, and the bike became wedged under the front axle, likely rupturing a fuel line and triggering an explosion.
The flames spread so rapidly that most passengers, many of them asleep, were trapped inside before they could react.
Survivors said the front door jammed after the impact, forcing them to break windows to escape. One of the survivers mentions that there was smoke everywhere and could hardly see see anything. He had to kick open the window to escape and save his life. Those who escaped were seated toward the rear of the bus. The others, caught in the front and middle rows, stood little chance as the fire consumed the air-conditioned cabin within minutes.
Local residents and police rushed to the spot but were unable to save most of the passengers. Kurnool SP Deepika Patil updated that the charred remains have been sent for DNA identification. The fire was so intense that the entire vehicle was gutted by the time they arrived.
Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu expressed deep shock, announced ex-gratia compensation for the victims’ families and ordered a probe into the incident. He also directed officials to carry out a safety audit of all private long-distance buses operating in the state.
The Kurnool blaze comes just days after a similar bus fire in Rajasthan’s Jaisalmer, where several passengers were killed, raising fresh alarm over recurring safety lapses in long-distance private coaches across the country.
Also Read: BJP Announces First List of 71 Candidates for Bihar Assembly Polls
