Tragic passenger tales, police case, twist in driver's account and unanswered questions follow the deadly road mishap in Andhra Pradesh's Kurnool involving a Bengaluru-bound private bus that caught fire in the wee hours of Friday, leaving 20 people dead.
The incident took place at around 3 am on Friday when the bus with 44 passengers, belonging to V Kaveri Travels, rammed into a motorcycle on National Highway (NH) 44, close to the outskirts of Kurnool city while it was on its way from Telangana's Hyderabad to Karnataka's Bengaluru. The Multi Axle Sleeper AC Volvo bus reportedly had a seating capacity of 42.
In a latest development in the incident, police have filed a case of negligence and overspeed has been registered against two drivers of the bus, one of whom is in spotlight for changing his statement. In another development, a CCTV footage purportedly showing the two-wheeler moments before the accident has also surfaced.
Kurnool bus accident | Key points
How it happened: According to accounts by police and surviving passengers, the fire erupted after the private bus hit a two-wheeler. “The two-wheeler got trapped under the bus and hit the fuel tank, leading to an immediate explosion and rapid spread of flames throughout the vehicle,” an earlier HT report quoted the police as saying. A PTI news agency report mentioned that the blaze was triggered after the motor bike - ‘with its fuel cap open’ - was dragged underneath the vehicle.
{{/usCountry}}How it happened: According to accounts by police and surviving passengers, the fire erupted after the private bus hit a two-wheeler. “The two-wheeler got trapped under the bus and hit the fuel tank, leading to an immediate explosion and rapid spread of flames throughout the vehicle,” an earlier HT report quoted the police as saying. A PTI news agency report mentioned that the blaze was triggered after the motor bike - ‘with its fuel cap open’ - was dragged underneath the vehicle.
{{/usCountry}}Kurnool bus accident death toll: The bus fire near Chinnatekur village in Kallur mandal of Andhra Pradesh’s Kurnool district claimed the lives of 20 people, including the biker. As per the police, another 12 passengers managed to escape with minor injuries amid the incident. As the incident took place in the wee hours, most of the passengers were fast asleep. While a few passengers woke up to the sudden fire and managed to break the windows and jump out, others were trapped inside and charred beyond recognition as the flames engulfed the entire bus within minutes.
Case registered: A case of negligence and overspeed has been registered against two drivers of the bus based on the complaint filed by one of the survivors, N Ramesh, PTI quoted a police official as saying. N Ramesh's has accused the drivers of negligent and over-speeding. Locals told Ramesh that the vehicle had rammed the bike at high speed and dragged it nearly 200 metres, causing sparks and fire, he said.
One driver taken into custody, another absconding: Touted as heroic by some for rescuing several passengers, one of the two bus drivers has come to spotlight with police alleging that he has been changing his statements. Siva Narayana (30), the second driver of the bus was not behind the wheel at the time of the incident but has reportedly been taken into custody by police. Following the incident, the man who was driving the bus, Lakshmaiah, fled the scene.
Driver changes statement: Siva Narayana earlier said the bus hit the bike amid heavy rain that had reduced visibility, however, later changed statement to claim that the motorcycle and its rider were already lying on the road due to a “previous accident”, and that Lakshmaiah - the first driver - drove over them unknowingly, triggering the fire, according to Indian Express.
Bus had several challans: It also came to light that the ill-fated luxury bus had several challans imposed by the Telangana police for alleged traffic violations, including dangerous driving and unauthorised parking. The vehicle possessed an All India permit and a valid fitness certificate, reported PTI.
Purported CCTV footage surfaces: An unconfirmed CCTV footage has surfaced purportedly showing the two-wheeler involved in the bus accident entering petrol bunk moments before the crash. The CCTV footage, timestamped 2:22 am on October 24, shows two men on a motorcycle at a petrol pump. One of them is later seen pushing the bike before riding out and briefly losing balance due to the sudden acceleration but managing to steady it.
Tragic tales: As the investigation continues, heart-wrenching stories of loss have begun to emerge. Two namesake friends who shared a decades-long bond were travelling with their families on the ill-fated bus - one family managed to escape, the other perished in the tragedy. While G Ramesh, wife Anushka, and their two children died, a family friend and survivor N Ramesh said he broke the bus window to escape after the locked rear emergency door trapped passengers, saving his family of three – wife and children along with a couple of others from the flames.