At least 20 people died and several others sustained injuries after a passenger bus burst into flames in Andhra Pradesh’s Kurnool district during the early hours of Friday. The vehicle, heading towards Bangalore, had between 40 and 44 passengers on board when disaster struck.
The tragedy unfolded in Chinnatekuru village, roughly 210 kilometres south of Hyderabad. A motorcycle collided with the bus from behind and became wedged beneath it. This caused the bus’s fuel tank to rupture, sparking an explosion that sent flames tearing through the vehicle in minutes.
Senior police officer Koya Praveen told news agency PTI: “The point of combustion was the fuel tank of the motorcycle from which the fire spread rapidly inside the bus.” Kurnool Superintendent of Police Vikrant Patil explained that the trapped motorcycle was dragged along, creating sparks that set the fuel tank alight.
Patil described the driver’s futile rescue attempt: “As the smoke started spreading, the driver stopped the bus and tried to put the fire out by using a fire extinguisher, but the fire was so intense he couldn’t control it.”
The blaze erupted whilst most passengers slept. Witnesses described hearing desperate cries as nearby residents attempted rescue operations. Several passengers broke windows to escape or used the emergency exit. Eighteen survivors are receiving medical care for their injuries.
By the time fire services reached the location, the bus had been completely destroyed. P Venkataraman, director general of the Andhra Pradesh Fire Services Department, painted a grim picture: “We saw bones and ash dropping through the melted sheets.”
Investigations have uncovered that the bus transported 234 mobile phones valued at 4.6 million Indian rupees, destined for a Bengaluru e-commerce company from Hyderabad. Superintendent Patil stated: “The bus batteries, presence of flammable furnishings in the bus and the cargo consisting of cell phones aggravated the fire leading to the tragic event.”
Officials believe the lithium-ion batteries within these phones intensified the fire after rupturing. Venkataraman noted that batteries powering the air conditioning system also detonated, compounding the disaster.
Both the bus driver and cleaner abandoned the scene. The motorcyclist perished in the accident. Authorities are investigating potential negligent driving and fuel leakage.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed grief over the loss of life, saying: “My thoughts are with the affected people and their families during this difficult time. Praying for the speedy recovery of the injured.”
President Droupadi Murmu described the incident as “unfortunate” and offered condolences to affected families.
This tragedy follows another deadly bus fire in Rajasthan earlier this month, which killed 20 people in a suspected electrical short circuit.
Article image from here.
