Noise, smoke and chaos: Survivors recount fatal Kurnool bus fire that left 20 dead

Death came without warning. Around 3 am, a Bengaluru-bound private bus burst into flames after colliding with a motorcycle, killing 20 people.

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Most of the passengers were asleep and died before they even realised what was happening. The fire consumed the entire vehicle, leaving behind nothing but a charred metal shell. Most of the victims were burned beyond recognition. Those jolted awake managed to escape through the emergency exit, some with broken limbs and others with minor injuries—but they were the lucky ones, carrying with them stories that will never be forgotten.

"I saw the fire engulf the bus—it spread within seconds," said S Harika from Nellore, describing the scene she woke up to. Harika was one of the few who were jolted awake as the flames engulfed the bus. "The rear door was broken by a passenger so we could escape. We all jumped out through it, and I suffered a minor injury on my forehead," she said.

Harika, who works for an IT company in Chennai and hails from Nellore district in Andhra Pradesh, is currently under observation in a hospital. She said her condition is stable. She had been travelling from Hyderabad to Bengaluru for some personal work.