Kurnool: Death came without warning. Around 3 am, a Bengaluru-bound private bus burst into flames after colliding with a motorcycle, killing 20 people. Most of the passengers were asleep and died before they even realised what was happening.
The fire consumed the entire vehicle, leaving behind nothing but a charred metal shell. Most of the victims were burned beyond recognition. Those jolted awake managed to escape through the emergency exit, some with broken limbs and others with minor injuries — but they were the lucky ones, carrying with them stories that will never be forgotten.
Nineteen people were charred to death and several others sustained burn injuries after an air-conditioned sleeper bus travelling from Hyderabad to Bengaluru caught fire on NH-44 near Chinnatekuru village in Kurnool district. A motorcyclist, who collided with the bus’s fuel tank and triggered the blaze, also died, bringing the total death toll to 20.
Earlier Kurnool District Collector Dr. A. Siri confirmed that 11 charred bodies have been recovered so far from the bus fire, while 21 passengers managed to escape safely.
According to preliminary reports, the accident occurred around 2:45 am when the motorcyclist rammed into the bus’s fuel tank, triggering a massive fire that engulfed the entire vehicle within minutes.
The motorcyclist, identified as Shiva Shankar (21), a granite daily wage worker and resident of TV9 Colony, Tandrapadu village, in Kurnool district, was also killed in the incident.
As the flames spread rapidly, passengers were trapped inside the burning vehicle. Local residents and police personnel acted swiftly, rescuing several passengers despite the intense blaze. Rescue operations continued through the night with the joint efforts of fire service personnel, police, and medical teams, who brought the fire under control and shifted the injured to nearby hospitals for treatment.
Some of the bodies were charred beyond recognition, prompting officials to call forensic teams to collect DNA samples of the deceased.
District Collector Siri said that a detailed inquiry has been ordered into the cause of the accident, with a special focus on the bus’s safety mechanisms, the availability of fire extinguishers, and the driver’s alertness during the journey. Preliminary investigations indicate that the impact on the fuel tank likely caused the fire, though officials suspect that lapses in safety standards among private travel operators could have worsened the tragedy.