At least 20 killed in India bus fire following collision on highway

A tragic bus fire near Chinnatekur village in Kallur mandal of Andhra Pradesh’s Kurnool district claimed the lives of at least 20 passengers on October 24. Another 12 people managed to escape with minor injuries, according to police.

The incident occurred around 3:30 a.m. when a Hyderabad-bound bus operated by Kaveri Travels, carrying approximately 44 passengers, collided with a motorcycle on National Highway 44, near the outskirts of Kurnool city, Caliber.Az reports via Indian media.

Officials said the impact caused the two-wheeler to become trapped under the bus, rupturing its fuel tank and triggering a massive explosion. Flames rapidly engulfed the vehicle, leaving many passengers trapped inside.

“The two-wheeler got stuck under the bus and hit the fuel tank, leading to an immediate explosion and rapid spread of flames throughout the vehicle,” police said.

Kurnool District Collector Dr A. Siri confirmed that 21 passengers were rescued safely, while the bodies of 11 out of the 20 deceased victims have been identified so far.

Eyewitnesses described hearing screams for help as the bus was quickly consumed by fire. Locals rushed to assist before firefighters arrived at the scene. Despite the deployment of four fire engines, the bus was reduced to ashes by the time the blaze was brought under control.

The injured were taken to the Kurnool Government General Hospital for treatment. Preliminary reports indicate that most of the passengers were residents of Hyderabad.

Among the survivors identified so far are Naveen Kumar, Akhil, Jasmitha, Akira, Ramesh, Jayasurya, Harika, Subrahmanyam, Ramireddy, Venugopal Reddy, Satyanarayana, and Srilakshmi.

Police said the bus drivers fled the scene immediately after the accident. A search has been launched to trace them, and a case has been registered in connection with the incident.

By Vugar Khalilov