Hyderabad: At least 20 people died after a private travel bus caught fire following a collision on the outskirts of Kurnool in Andhra Pradesh early Friday.
The Volvo bus, bearing registration number DD01N9490 and operated by Kaveri Travels, was en route from Hyderabad to Bangalore. Around 3:30 a.m., it struck a motorcycle near Chinnatekur, triggering a fire that rapidly engulfed the vehicle. At the time, most passengers were asleep inside.
Police reported that the flames spread quickly, leaving many passengers trapped. Approximately 42 people were on board. While 20 to 25 passengers managed to escape through the emergency door, up to 20 people died in the blaze. The two-wheeler riders also perished.
Most victims in the Kurnool bus fire were from Hyderabad
The driver and staff reportedly fled the scene immediately after the accident. Police and SDRF teams arrived shortly after to conduct rescue operations, but by then, the bus was entirely gutted.
The injured were taken to Kurnool Government General Hospital. Authorities stated that none of the survivors had life-threatening injuries. A traffic backlog developed on the national highway due to the fire and emergency response.