Survivors recall struggle to exit as fire engulfed Andhra pvt bus

Several passengers who narrowly escaped the devastating fire ina sleeper bus heading from Hyderabad to Benga-luru early on Friday narrated harrowing details of the incident.

- Srinivasa Rao Apparasu

‘Twenty people were killed and 20 others injured when the bus went up in flames after hitting a motorcycle on the outskirts of Kurnool district in Andhra Pradesh, said police.

“I boarded the bus at Nampa-ly in Hyderabad to return to Ben-galuru after Diwali. I was in a deep sleep when I suddenly heard a loud noise at around 3.30am. I noticed flames all around me and everybody was crying for help. I smashed the window adjacent to my berth and jumped out. Two others managed to escape with me,” said 31-year-old Aakash, a techie from Bengaluru.

Another survivor, MG Rama Reddy (50), who suffered burns and is undergoing treatment in Kurnool Hospital, recalled: “I was asleep when I heard screams. The bus was filled with thick smoke and fire. I couldn't see anything. Someone pulled me out through the window.”