- At least 25 people were killed after a passenger bus collided with a motorcycle and burst into flames near the village of Chinnatekuru in Andhra Pradesh, India.
- A Kaveri Travels bus, which was carrying 44 passengers from Hyderabad to Bengaluru, caught fire after a motorcycle got stuck underneath it
- Witnesses said many passengers were asleep when the fire broke out, and some escaped by breaking windows, while others were burned alive.
- Police and fire officials cited safety lapses, saying the bus lacked emergency equipment such as safety hammers.
At least 25 people have died after a passenger bus burst into flames following a motorcycle accident in southern India.
Source: UGC
The fatal accident happened near Chinnatekuru village in Kurnool district, Andhra Pradesh, and left the Asian nation in shock.
What caused the bus fire in India?
According to the police, the Kaveri Travels bus, carrying 44 passengers, was traveling overnight from Hyderabad in Telangana state to Bengaluru in Karnataka when it collided with a motorcycle at around 3 am.
According to Al Jazeera, the impact caused the bicycle to get stuck under the bus, causing a huge fire that consumed the vehicle within a few minutes.
Senior police officer Vikrant Patil said the motorcycle was dragged for some distance before sparks ignited the fuel tank of the bus.
“When the smoke started to spread, the driver stopped the bus and tried to put out the fire using a fire extinguisher, but the fire was so intense that he could not control it,” Patil said, as quoted by NBC News.
Witnesses said the flames spread quickly, trapping several passengers, many of whom were asleep when the crash occurred.
Some managed to break the windows and jump out with minor injuries. Others were burned alive before emergency responders arrived.
Kurnool District Collector, A Siri, said a control room has been set up to support the families and help identify the victims.
“This incident happened late at night, and the passengers were sleeping. The stairs of the bus were cut after the accident, and the doors of the bus were not opened after the accident. We are investigating the matter. The two drivers escaped from the fire. The passengers were coming from Hyderabad, I am tracing the family members of the deceased. We have set up a control room for help,” DC Secret said.
Was there a security breach on the bus?
Eighteen passengers were rescued and rushed to nearby hospitals for treatment while officials confirmed that the motorcyclist also died in the accident.
The luxury bus was completely gutted by the fire, leaving only its charred steel frame at the scene of the accident.
Source: UGC
Initial investigations reveal serious safety lapses inside the bus, with a senior fire official revealing that the vehicle lacks essential emergency equipment such as safety hammers to break the glass.
Although the diesel tank of the bus did not catch fire, the flames spread quickly due to fuel from the motorcycle and the interior of the bus.
“The bus collided with a bicycle, pulled it and caused the bicycle’s petrol to leak, which caused a fire. There were no safety hammers to break the glass after the fiery accident. The bus driver did not stop after colliding with the bicycle. The diesel tank of the bus did not catch fire, but the bus was completely damaged. We are investigating the matter,” the officer said.
How Mtito Andei’s accident happened
In a separate tragedy, a fatal road accident occurred at Kanga area along the Nairobi-Mombasa Highway near Mtito Andei after a fuel tanker and a trailer collided head-on around 8am.
The collision caused the tank to burst and burst into flames, releasing thick black smoke that could be seen from a distance.
Emergency crews rushed to the scene to control the fire and rescue victims.
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