Kurnool bus fire: Owner of private vehicle arrested, gets bail; police probe flags illegal structural changes

Charred remains of the bus in Kurnool. Pic/PTI

After the horrific incident which occurred in Andhra Pradesh's Kurnool during the early hours of October 24, the owner of a private bus involved in a fatal accident that killed 19 people was arrested on Friday, news agency PTI reported, quoting the police.

The accused was then presented in the court, which later granted him bail.

On October 24, the Bengaluru-bound private bus caught fire in the early hours after a collision with a two-wheeler. The fire was worsened when the motorbike's fuel tank, which was open, came into contact with the bus's fuel tanks, triggering a massive explosion that killed 19 people.

Kurnool Range Deputy Inspector General (DIG) of Police Koya Praveen, while talking to the media, said, "We have arrested V Vinod Kumar and then produced him in a local court which granted him bail after hearing arguments that all violations were scheduled compoundable offences under the Motor Vehicles (MV) Act."

He added that Kumar was booked under Sections 105 and 106 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) Act along with multiple Motor Vehicle (MV) Act violations, reported PTI.

According to the police, the owner knowingly made structural alterations to the bus that amounted to charges of culpable homicide.

Furthermore, the police also observed that the sleeper coach of the bus was designed in a way that obstructed the emergency exit door and other fire safety measures.

The accident at Kurnool was so fatal that some of the bodies were charred beyond recognition, prompting officials to call forensic teams to collect DNA samples of the deceased.

One of the officials, while highlighting the horrific incident, said that several passengers couldn't escape the tragedy because it struck at night while they were sleeping.

Speaking to the media about the incident, Kurnool Range DIG Koya Praveen during the night of the accident said that, "So far, 19 bodies have been retrieved from the charred bus. While the biker's body is in the mortuary."

There were 44 passengers on the bus and several managed to escape.

The Andhra Pradesh Government had announced an ex-gratia of Rs 5 lakh for the families of the victims.

(With inputs from PTI)