Bengaluru-bound bus catches fire in Andhra's Kurnool, 20 dead

KURNOOL (ANDHRA PRADESH): At least 20 people, including a motorcyclist, were killed when a private bus travelling from Hyderabad to Bengaluru caught fire after colliding with a two-wheeler near Chinnatekur village in Kurnool district early Friday morning.

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Most of the victims were charred beyond recognition, officials said.

The accident occurred around 3 am when the motorcycle rammed into the speeding sleeper bus and got dragged beneath it. Police suspect that the bike's fuel cap was open, leading to an explosion that engulfed the vehicle in flames within minutes.

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

"A complete picture of casualties and survivors will emerge only after all bodies are identified and the investigation concludes." According to Kurnool District Collector A Siri, there were 41 people onboard, including the driver.

"Of the 41, 21 passengers have been traced. Those who escaped are stable and out of danger," she said.

Many passengers could not make it out alive as the accident took place when they were asleep.

"The bus door did not open immediately because some wires got snapped, worsening the situation," Siri added. She confirmed that most passengers were residents of Hyderabad.

The impact jammed the vehicle's door, reportedly due to a short circuit. Within minutes, the bus was completely gutted, leaving little time for those inside to react. Officials said that most survivors were in their mid-20s to mid-30s.

Survivors described the horrifying moments following the crash.