Kurnool bus fire: Telangana govt sets up helpline after 19 passengers, biker killed

A Bengaluru-bound private bus from Hyderabad caught fire in this district on Friday after colliding with a two-wheeler, leaving 20 people dead, most of them charred to death, a senior police official said. Among the deceased was the biker.

The bus was travelling from Hyderabad to Bengaluru with around 40 passengers on board when the accident occurred around 3 am. "So far, 19 bodies have been retrieved from the charred bus. Biker’s body is in the mortuary," Kurnool Range DIG Koya Praveen said.

The Telangana government has set up a helpline to assist the families of passengers. The government, in a release, said that its officers M Sriramachandra (M 9912919545) and E Chittibabu (M 9440854433) can be contacted for help.

The helpline was set up following a directive by Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy, who spoke to government Chief Secretary K Ramakrishna Rao and DGP Shivadhar Reddy.

According to police, the two-wheeler got stuck under the bus after the crash, sparking a fire that spread rapidly through the vehicle. Within moments, the flames engulfed the entire bus, trapping many passengers inside.

“The Volvo bus hit a bike that got stuck under it, which likely caused the fire. Since it was an AC bus, passengers had difficulty getting out. Those who managed to break open the windows survived,” Superintendent of Police Vikrant Patil was quoted by NDTV as saying.

Out of the 40 people onboard, 15 passengers managed to escape with injuries, while several others were charred to death. The survivors were rushed to nearby hospitals with burns and other injuries.

Rescue and firefighting operations went on for several hours, and officials said the final death toll will be confirmed once the cooling process is completed.

SP Patil added that the fire has now been brought under control. The passenger list also included two drivers who were on duty during the journey.

Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu expressed deep condolences to the families of the deceased and directed district officials to ensure immediate relief and medical care for the injured.

This tragedy comes just days after a similar bus fire in Rajasthan, where 22 people, including three children, died when a Jaisalmer-Jodhpur bus caught fire on October 14. Investigations in that case revealed that a short circuit in the air-conditioning system triggered the blaze.