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Viral video claims to show ‘drunk’ biker at petrol pump moments before Kurnool bus fire
Kurnool bus accident: The CCTV footage, timestamped 2:22 am on October 24, shows two men on a motorcycle at a petrol pump.
An unconfirmed CCTV footage has surfaced purportedly showing the two-wheeler involved in the Kurnool bus accident entering petrol pump moments before the crash that killed 20, including the biker, on Friday.
The deceased biker has been identified as Shivasankar, who some sharing the video on social media say appeared to be under the influence of alcohol in the CCTV footage from the petrol pump.
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.
Police has not confirmed the CCTV footage, neither has HT been able to independently verify the authenticity of the same.
The time stamp seems to be in line with the sequence of events that led to the Kurnool bus tragedy as police said the incident took place at around 2:30-3:00 am on Friday.
As the video surfaced on social media, a Deccan Chronicle report also mentioned that preliminary reports suggest that Shivasankar was under the influence of alcohol at the time. He was among those who died in the tragic bus accident that occurred on Friday on the outskirts of Kurnool.
A case of negligence and overspeed has been registered against two drivers of the Bengaluru-bound private bus in connection with the fatal fire that killed 20 people, PTI news agency quoted a police official as saying on Saturday.
Based on the complaint filed by one of the survivors, N Ramesh, the Ulindakonda Police in Kurnool district registered the case.
The Bengaluru-bound private bus caught fire in the wee hours of Friday after ramming a two-wheeler. The fuel cap of the two-wheeler was reportedly open when it was hit by the bus.
In a turn in the case, the second bus driver, 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.
