Kurnool bus fire leaves 20 dead: People perish in sleep, fully charred
The Bengaluru-Hyderabad bus, carrying 41 people on board, caught fire after hitting a bike at Chinnatekur village in Kurnool district
Twenty passengers were killed in a fire in an ill-fated private bus in Andhra Pradesh's Kurnool district on Friday (October 24). The private bus from Hyderabad to Bengaluru caught fire after colliding with a two-wheeler. Only a few, jolted awake by the flames, managed to break the windows and escape through the emergency exit.
For most, death struck without a warning. Several passengers were fast asleep and died without even realising what was happening when the Bengaluru-bound bus caught fire around 3 AM after an accident involving a motorcycle, leaving 20 dead on the spot. Most victims were charred beyond recognition.
The blaze completely gutted the sleeper bus, reducing it to a metal skeleton. There were some techies onboard when the accident happened and the survivors recalled the tense moments leading to their miraculous escape, even while suffering broken limbs and other minor injuries.
Killed in sleep
Nellore-based S Harika said she was asleep and "when I woke up I saw fire engulfing the bus which spread within seconds." "The rear door was broken by a passenger for escaping and we all jumped out from it and I suffered a minor injury on the forehead," she told PTI.
An IT employee, Harika is now under observation in a hospital. She stated her condition was fine.
Surya, a survivor who lives in Hyderabad said that around 2:45 am the fire engulfed the bus. He said that he was heading to Bengaluru for a job interview at a top IT firm on Saturday. "My legs are fractured because I jumped from over 15 feet height. The doctor said I will be fine soon," he told PTI.
According to Kurnool District Collector A Siri, a total of 41 people, including the driver, were in the bus. Of the 41 onboard, 21 have been traced.
Doors jammed
Those who escaped the accident are stable and out of danger, she said.
Many passengers could not escape the tragedy as it occurred during the night when they were asleep, she said. She said the bus door did not open immediately as some wires got cut which increased the severity of the tragedy.
Most of the passengers belonged to Hyderabad, Siri added.
A Bengaluru-bound private bus from Hyderabad caught fire in Andhra Pradesh's Kurnool district on early Friday (October 24) after colliding with a two-wheeler, leaving 20 people dead, a senior police official said.
Official sources indicated that the toll may rise. Among the deceased was the biker.
According to initial reports, the motorcycle collided with the luxury bus near Chinnatekur in Kurnool and got dragged underneath with its fuel cap open, triggering the blaze.
"Police are entering the bus to assess the situation, and the fate of nine other passengers is yet to be ascertained," Kurnool Range DIG Koya Praveen said.
Also read: 21 injured as govt bus overturns on rain-slicked road in Villupuram
According to the police, the accident occurred at 3 am.
The bus door got jammed due to a short circuit and the vehicle was completely gutted within minutes. Most survivors were aged between 25 and 35 years, police said.
Rain hampers rescue work
The police and fire personnel rushed to the scene and shifted the injured to Kurnool Government Hospital for treatment.
Heavy rain in the area hampered rescue operations. Authorities have ordered an inquiry into the tragic incident.
President Droupadi Murmu, in a post on X, condoled the deaths. "The loss of lives in a tragic bus fire accident in Kurnool, Andhra Pradesh is deeply unfortunate. I extend my heartfelt condolences to the bereaved family members and pray for the speedy recovery of those injured," she said.
Read live updates here.
Live Updates
- 24 Oct 2025 3:59 PM IST
Sleeper buses under fire: Night journeys, poor design, no alarms
Twenty passengers were killed in a fire in an ill-fated private bus in Andhra Pradesh's Kurnool district on Friday (October 24). The private bus from Hyderabad to Bengaluru caught fire after colliding with a two-wheeler.
In just the last three days, three major bus accidents have been reported. The rising number of mishaps — especially involving sleeper buses — is triggering widespread anxiety.
Sleeper buses running between Hyderabad and Bengaluru, particularly through Kurnool and Mahbubnagar districts, have been involved in several accidents.
Are sleeper buses a death trap?
Lack of safety measures and over speeding continue to cause devastating bus accidents. With a string of such incidents, questions are being raised over the safety standards of long-distance buses.
AC sleeper buses are increasingly becoming death traps. Due to their flawed design, fire-related fatalities are higher in these vehicles.
Sleeper buses don’t provide safe gallery spaces for passengers to move around, making escaping during emergencies nearly impossible. Even emergency exits are blocked by seat arrangements, rendering them useless when needed most.
Most long-distance bus accidents occur at night, often due to driver fatigue and drowsiness. Lack of fire alarms or suppression systems only adds to the danger. Experts recommend installing drowsiness alert systems, but no buses in India currently have them.
China banned sleeper buses in 2012 after a series of accidents. In contrast, these vehicles continue to operate freely in India. What’s striking is that most buses involved in major fire accidents here are sleeper buses.
- 24 Oct 2025 3:48 PM IST
Kurnool bus tragedy: 16 traffic violations; Rs 23,000 in fines unpaid
The horrific bus accident that occurred early on Friday morning (October 24) on National Highway 44 near Chinnatekur, on the outskirts of Kurnool district, has plunged several families into grief. Over 20 passengers were burnt alive in this tragic incident.
The bus, bearing registration number DD01 N9490, was registered under Kaveri Travels on May 2, 2018, in Daman and Diu, according to the Andhra Pradesh Transport Department.
Between January 27, 2024, and October 9, 2025, the vehicle had 16 traffic challans issued against it in Telangana. These included nine instances of entering no-entry zones, along with violations for over-speeding and dangerous driving. A total of Rs 23,120 in fines remains unpaid.
Despite these violations, the bus had a valid tourist permit until April 30, 2030, a fitness certificate valid until March 31, 2027, and insurance coverage until April 20, 2026, according to transport officials.
- 24 Oct 2025 3:36 PM IST
After Diwali celebration in Hyderabad, mother and son die in Kurnool bus accident
In a tragic incident, a mother and son lost their lives in the Kurnool bus accident, which occurred around 3 am on Friday (October 24). The mother-son duo had come to Hyderabad for Diwali and were returning to Bengaluru.
The mother, Philominan, had travelled to Patancheru to celebrate the Diwali festival with her daughter Padma and family. After the celebrations, her son Kishore came to Hyderabad to take his mother back to Bengaluru. The two boarded a Kaveri Travels bus from Patancheru at 8.30 pm on Thursday (October 23).
Padma, who lost both her mother and brother in one night, has been inconsolable since learning that they were among those who died in the accident. Overcome with grief, she laments that she wishes they had not come home for Diwali.
- 24 Oct 2025 3:28 PM IST
Three passengers still missing after Kurnool bus tragedy; families grow anxious
DNA tests are being conducted to identify those who died in the Kurnool bus accident, which occurred near Ullindakonda Cross, Chinna Tekur, on the outskirts of Kurnool between 2.30 and 3 am on Friday (October 24). The forensic team has begun the process of identifying the bodies through DNA tests.
Out of about 42 passengers travelling in the bus, 22 people have reportedly died.
Two passengers boarded the bus at Suraram in Hyderabad, while three others got in near JNTU. Of the two who boarded at Suraram, Gunasai managed to escape from the bus and survive, while the whereabouts of the second passenger remain unknown — calls to his phone go unanswered as it is switched off.
Similarly, among the three passengers who boarded near JNTU, one is reported to have escaped safely, while the other two have their phones switched off. It remains unclear whether these three missing passengers are among the 22 deceased or among those who survived.
Officials suspect that if the missing passengers escaped, their mobile phones may have been destroyed in the fire or their batteries could have died, which could explain why they are switched off.
- 24 Oct 2025 3:18 PM IST
Two software employees killed in Kurnool bus accident
Two software engineers were killed in the bus accident that occurred in Kurnool in the early hours of Friday (October 24).
According to reports, Gannamaneni Dhatri (27) from Andhra Pradesh and Anusha Reddy from Telangana were charred to death in the flames. Dhatri, a native of Pusapadu village in Yaddanapudi mandal of Bapatla district (Andhra Pradesh), was working in Bengaluru.
She had come to Hyderabad to celebrate Diwali at her maternal uncle’s house. After spending the festival with his family, Dhatri boarded a bus on Thursday night to return to Bengaluru.
As for Anusha Reddy, she was from Vastakonduru village in Gundala mandal of Yadadri Bhuvanagiri district (Telangana). She too had come home for the Diwali celebrations and, after spending time with her family, reached Hyderabad to take a bus back to Bengaluru from Khairatabad on Thursday night.
- 24 Oct 2025 2:37 PM IST
K Kavitha calls for recall of sleeper coach buses; urges Centre to review transport policy
Telangana Jagruthi founder K. Kavitha urged the Central government to review its transport policy and consider recalling sleeper coach buses.
She pointed out that countries such as China have already imposed a ban on these buses, as there is little chance of passengers surviving accidents involving such vehicles.
“I hope the Union government reviews the transport policy, where such buses should be recalled. China has completely banned the sleeper coach buses. Maybe it is time to rethink. People don’t survive such accidents. It is high time we review this policy,” Kavitha told ANI.
Expressing grief over the loss of lives in the Kurnool bus incident, Kavitha also flagged the rising number of similar accidents and called for urgent policy intervention to enhance passenger safety.
- 24 Oct 2025 2:34 PM IST
Telangana announces ex gratia for Kurnool bus accident victims
The Telangana government has reportedly announced an ex gratia of Rs 5 lakh for the families of those who died and Rs 2 lakh for those injured in the Kurnool bus accident. All necessary measures are being taken to ensure the injured receive quality medical treatment, State Transport Minister Ponnam Prabhakar said, according to ANI.
- 24 Oct 2025 2:32 PM IST
Andhra Home Minister visits Kurnool hospital, meets passengers injured in bus accident
Andhra Pradesh Home Minister Anitha Vangalapudi visited the Kurnool District hospital and met the injured people who were travelling in the bus that caught fire near the Chinna Tekur village in Kurnool.
- 24 Oct 2025 2:28 PM IST
Several passengers injured in the Kurnool bus tragedy receive treatment
Several injured people are admitted to the hospital for treatment after a bus bursts into flames near the Chinna Tekur village in Kurnool.
- 24 Oct 2025 2:25 PM IST
'Bus caught fire after hitting bike': Survivor recalls chaos during Kurnool bus tragedy
A passenger who was travelling in the bus that caught fire says, "I was travelling from Hyderabad to Bangalore. Around 3 AM, a bike came in front of us... And then the same bike was dragged by the bus, and that's why flames came from the front... In the panic situation, everyone rushed towards the emergency exit... Due to the smoke, there was suffocation, and we were not able to see anything... As soon as we got out, the bus was completely on fire..."
