In the ghastly accident that killed 20 people, the fire in the Hyderabad-Bengaluru National Highway luxury sleeper bus near Kurnool has been confirmed by the police to have resulted from a horrific collision and subsequent running over of the object. This clarification brings to an end the early uncertainty regarding whether the bus ran over roadkill or was involved in a main accident.
The Deadly Chain: Crash Becomes Blaze
The private bus of Kaveri Travels, which had more than 40 passengers on board, caught fire in the early hours of Friday at Chinna Tekuru village in Andhra Pradesh. The investigation by the Kurnool District Police, based on forensic evidence, site analysis, and eyewitness accounts, revealed the following sequence of events:
- Rear-End Collision: The bus, having allegedly overspeeded and being driven negligently, rammed into a motorbike from behind that was moving in the same direction.
- Run-Over and Dragging: The crash killed the motorcyclist on impact, and the motorcycle was dragged under the bus for about 300 meters.
- Fire Ignition: The heat and friction between the ruptured fuel tank of the bike and the roadbed resulted in sparks that ignited the spilled fuel.
- Inferno: The fire rapidly engulfed the bus, which was transporting inflammable items in its furniture and luggage (such as cell phones), producing a fatal inferno that destroyed the vehicle in minutes.
A total of 19 people were incinerated to death on the bus, and the motorcyclist, which brings the official death toll to 20.
Trapped: The Failure of Safety Mechanisms
The heavy loss of life has put the safety standards and modifications of the bus under severe interrogation. Survivors describe a frantic, disorganized evacuation:
- Jammed Door: The primary passenger entry/exit door was said to jam the moment the buses caught fire, trapping most of the passengers who were asleep in the sleeper berths.
- Window Escape: Around 27 people, including the two drivers who abandoned their vehicles (and were subsequently arrested), escaped miraculously by breaking windows and utilizing the emergency exits.
Police authorities commented that the highly combustible materials placed inside, including bed dividers and curtains, increased the speed of the fire and transformed the luxury coach into a metal coffin. The accident would like to emphasize the need for stricter implementation of fire safety regulations in private sleeper buses that travel long distances.
Current Investigation and Relief
After the accident, both governments of Andhra Pradesh and Telangana declared ex-gratia to the families of the victims, and the Prime Minister’s Office also provided financial compensation. Several teams of experts, including forensic scientists, have been sent to speed up the process of DNA profiling and identification of the bodies that were reduced to ashes.
The two bus drivers have been booked on charges of negligent and over-speed driving. The accident triggered a huge crackdown, with the Transport Department directing immediate fitness, safety, and permit tests on all private travel buses in the region. The Kurnool bus tragedy is a stark reminder of the deadly cost of driver negligence and lax vehicle safety on Indian roads.
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