Three charred to death after bus, truck collide head-on in Andhra's Nandyal

The bus driver reportedly lost control of the vehicle, jumped the road divider and rammed into a container lorry coming from the opposite direction.

At least three people were killed and several others injured after a private bus lost control and collided head on with a container truck, and caught fire in Andhra Pradesh’s Nandyal district in the early hours of Thursday, police said.

A DCM vehicle driver passing by the area spotted the blaze and helped passengers escape from the bus. (HT Photo)

The accident took place around 2 am at Shirivellametta village of Shirivella mandal (block). Both the bus and truck drivers, besides the truck cleaner, were charred to death beyond recognition, an official from Nandyal district police told local reporters.

The bus, operated by ARBCVR Private Travels, was travelling from Nellore to Hyderabad with 36 passengers on board when one of its tyres suddenly burst. The driver reportedly lost control of the vehicle, jumped the road divider and rammed into a container lorry coming from the opposite direction.

The impact triggered a massive fire, engulfing both vehicles within minutes. Flames rapidly spread across the bus, creating panic among passengers. As both the main door and the emergency exit failed to open, several passengers were initially unable to escape.

“A DCM vehicle driver passing by noticed the blaze, immediately stopped his vehicle, and broke the bus windows, enabling passengers to flee. Many jumped out through the windows to save their lives,” the police said.

However, the bus driver, along with the lorry driver and the lorry cleaner, were trapped inside and burnt alive.

More than 10 passengers sustained burn injuries, while some others were injured due to jumping from the bus and the chaos that followed. All the injured passengers were rushed to the Nandyal Government General Hospital for treatment. Doctors said their condition was stable.

The fire, which started from the bus and later spread to the container lorry, reduced both vehicles to ashes. Passengers’ luggage and personal belongings were also completely destroyed in the blaze.

Police teams and traffic personnel rushed to the spot soon after receiving information and launched rescue and relief operations. Due to the accident, traffic on the route was disrupted for several hours, leading to heavy congestion. The damaged vehicles were eventually removed, and traffic was restored.

“A case has been registered, and we have begun an investigation to ascertain the exact sequence of events leading to the accident. Statements are being collected from injured passengers,” the police official said, adding that the timely intervention by the DCM driver helped prevent a much higher death toll.