A Bengaluru-bound bus from Hyderabad caught fire in Kurnool, Andhra Pradesh, after colliding with a motorcycle, killing 20 people. Several bodies were charred beyond recognition, prompting forensic DNA identification. Officials confirm 21 survivors are stable
Hyderabad-bound private bus caught fire following a collision with a two-wheeler. Pic/PTI
In a heart-wrenching incident that occurred in Andhra Pradesh’s Kurnool district, a Bengaluru-bound private bus from Hyderabad caught fire on Friday after colliding with a two-wheeler. The tragic incident left 20 people dead, most of them charred to death, a senior police official said.
As reported by news agency PTI, some of the bodies were charred beyond recognition, prompting officials to call forensic teams to collect DNA samples of the deceased.
One of the official white highlights about the horrific incident which occurred at midnight said that several passengers couldn't escape the tragedy because it struck at night while they were sleeping.
According to initial reports, a motorcycle collided with the bus near Chinnatekur in Kurnool and got dragged underneath with its fuel cap open, triggering the blaze.
Speaking to the media about the incident, Kurnool Range DIG Koya Praveen said that, "So far, 19 bodies have been retrieved from the charred bus. While the biker's body is in the mortuary," as cited by news agency PTI.
The police official added that, “The bus door got jammed due to a short circuit, and the vehicle was completely gutted within minutes. Most survivors were aged between 25 and 35 years.”
The senior police officer further said that a complete picture of casualties and survivors would emerge only after a thorough investigation and identification of all those involved in the accident.
Addressing further about the tragic incident, the District Collector said that there were 41 people travelling in the bus, including the driver. Out of the 41 onboard, 21 have been identified. The official further added that, “Those who escaped the accident are stable and out of danger,” as cited by news agency PTI.
As reported by news agency PTI, most of the passengers who were inside the bus that met with a tragic accident belonged to Hyderabad, District Collector Siri added. The officials earlier said that the bus was bound for Hyderabad in neighbouring Telangana.
In view of such a tragic incident that took 20 lives, President Droupadi Murmu, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi, Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu and his Telangana counterpart A Revanth Reddy also expressed their anguish.
(With inputs from PTI)
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