What led to Kurnool bus blaze? Here is the official version

A Bengaluru-bound private bus caught fire in Andhra Pradesh's Kurnool on Friday (October 24) after colliding with a two-wheeler, with the blaze being triggered after the motorbike with its fuel cap open was dragged underneath the bus, leaving 20 people dead.

Most of the victims were charred beyond recognition, police said. The dead included two children and a biker, while nine people suffered injuries. Though there were multiple theories and reports about how the accident happened, the police released a statement late at night, revealing exactly what unfolded on the highway late Friday night.

Police confirms sequence of events

Here is how it happened. According to the police, the bus driver hit a bike travelling in the same direction and dragged it for a while. This sparked a blaze. The bus batteries, the presence of flammable furnishings in the bus, and the cargo consisting of cell phones aggravated the fire.

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"The bus driver, Miryala Lakshmaiah, hit a bike going in the same direction. This resulted in the instantaneous death of the bike driver Bucchalu Shiva Shankar of B Thandrapadu village of Kurnool district.

"The bike was dragged under the bus and the sparks from this resulted in the fire. The bus batteries, the presence of flammable furnishings in the bus, and the cargo consisting of cell phones aggravated the fire, leading to the tragic event," Kurnool SP Vikrant Patel said in a statement. Incidentally, the driver earlier claimed the bike was lying on the road, but the police have now refuted that claim.

Police register case against driver for overspeeding

Based on a complaint by one of the survivors, N Ramesh, Ulindakonda Police in Kurnool district have registered a case against two bus drivers for alleged negligent and over-speed driving in connection with the fatal bus fire under section 125(a) (endangering human life), 106(1) (causing death by negligence) of BNS Act , said a police official.

Survivors recounted tense moments ahead of their miraculous escape, albeit with injuries, while the not-so-lucky ones perished in their sleep. Passengers broke the window glass to escape to safety. The ill-fated bus was carrying 44 passengers at the time of the accident.

It was all over in seconds

Several passengers were fast asleep and died without even realising what was happening when the vehicle caught fire around 3 AM. The blaze completely gutted the sleeper bus, reducing it to a metal skeleton. There were some techies on board when the accident happened.

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Some of the bodies were charred beyond recognition, prompting officials to call forensic teams to collect DNA samples of the deceased.

"So far, 19 bodies have been retrieved from the charred bus. The biker's body is in the mortuary," Kurnool Range DIG Koya Praveen said.

The bus door got jammed and the vehicle was gutted entirely within minutes. Most survivors were aged between 25 and 35 years, police added.

According to officials, some of the materials used for making beds and curtains were flammable, which might have intensified the fire, causing it to spread quickly.

State sets up panel to probe

Home Minister V Anitha said the state government has constituted a committee comprising officials from the transport, roads and revenue departments to investigate the fatal fire. She further stated that 16 teams have been constituted to probe the incident.

The vehicle had an All India permit and a valid fitness certificate, and investigators are examining how the accident occurred.

State Transport Minister M Ramprasad Reddy, addressing a press conference, said there were people from different states on the bus, among whom six belonged to Andhra Pradesh. As per CM Naidu's instructions, the government will provide ex-gratia of Rs 5 lakh to the kin of the deceased and Rs 2 lakh to those who were injured.

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Similarly, Karnataka and Telangana have agreed to give a similar amount, he said. Three persons from Odisha, Tamil Nadu, and Bihar will also be taken care of. Nine persons are undergoing treatment, including six with fractures, who are admitted to Kurnool Government General Hospital (GGH), while three are in a private facility, Anitha said.

District Collector A Siri said those who escaped the accident are stable and out of danger.

Bus had multiple violations

Meanwhile, it emerged that the ill-fated luxury bus had several challans issued by the Telangana police for traffic violations, including dangerous driving and unauthorised parking.

(With Agency inputs)