Bike-borne duo drunk: Police

ANDHRA BUS FIRE MISHAP

- PRESS TRUST OF INDIA

Andhra Pradesh police Sunday confirmed that the two bike-borne persons connected to the Bangalore-bound bus fire accident, which claimed the lives of 19 passengers, were drunk.

In the wee hours of October 24, the sleeper bus ran over a two-wheeler, which had already met in an accident, at China Tekuru village in Kurnool district.

There were 44 passengers on the bus and several managed to escape.

The two-wheeler was dragged forward underneath the bus, leading to the bursting of its fuel tank and subsequent ignition and intensification of the blaze with the explosion of the bus’s two 12 KV batteries.

“We just received the forensic confirmation that the two bike-borne persons (Siva Shankar and Erri Swamy) were drunk,” Kurnool Range Deputy Inspector General (DIG) of Police Koya Praveen told PTI.

Though police were aware that the duo was in an inebriated condition, they did not confirm this fact as they were waiting for forensic evidence.

The DIG on Saturday night said that the duo had food in a dhaba and Swamy had admitted to consuming liquor.