20 dead as Kaveri Travels bus catches fire in Kurnool, PM Announces ex-gratia
Most passengers were asleep when the accident occurred and could not escape the bus. Further, due to a short circuit, the bus door jammed.
Most passengers were asleep when the accident occurred and could not escape the bus. Further, due to a short circuit, the bus door jammed.
Most passengers were asleep when the accident occurred and could not escape the bus. Further, due to a short circuit, the bus door jammed.
Andhra Pradesh: A private bus that was travelling from Hyderabad to Bengaluru caught on fire during the early hours of Friday, leaving 20 dead and several injured.
According to initial reports, the crash occurred at about 3.30 am near Chinnatekur in Kurnool when a motorcycle collided with the bus. The bike was dragged under the bus with its fuel cap open, triggering the fire.
District Collector A Siri said 41 people were on board, including the driver, but only 21 have been traced so far. Most passengers were from Hyderabad.
So far, 19 passengers and a biker have died. Some of the bodies were charred beyond recognition, prompting officials to call forensic teams to collect DNA samples of the deceased.
Most passengers were asleep when the accident occurred and could not escape the bus. Due to a short circuit, the bus door jammed and the entire vehicle was engulfed in flames within minutes.
However, as many as 19 passengers escaped the accident by breaking the windows of the Volvo bus belonging to Kaveri Travels. Those who managed to escape are stable and out of danger. Most survivors were aged 25 to 35, police said.
Koya Praveen, the DIG of Kurnool Range noted that no fire control measures were in place in the bus, indicating lapses in safety compliance and emergency preparedness during travel.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed his grief over the loss of lives in the accident. He announced an ex-gratia of ₹2 lakh from Prime Minister's National Relief Fund (PMNRF) to the next of kin of the deceased and ₹50,000 to the injured.
President Droupadi Murmu, Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu and Telangana Chief Minister Revanth Reddy also expressed anguish over the accident and conveyed condolences to the family members.
(With inputs from PTI and IANS)