Inside Kurnool bus fire: 234 smartphones worth Rs 46 lakh made blaze more fierce

Kurnool Bus Fire

The investigation into the Kurnool bus fire in Andhra Pradesh has uncovered a new detail. It was found during the probe that a shipment of 234 smartphones was being transported inside the vehicle when it caught fire early on Friday morning.

Forensic teams have indicated that the phones’ batteries exploded, intensifying the flames that engulfed the bus and claimed 19 lives, according to a report by NDTV.

Smartphones worth Rs 46 lakh were onboard

The consignment, valued at approximately Rs 46 lakh, was reportedly being sent as a parcel by Hyderabad-based businessman Manganath. It was en route to an e-commerce company in Bengaluru, from where the devices were to be distributed to customers, NDYV reported.

Eyewitnesses at the site said they heard multiple explosions as the phones caught fire.

Initial fire triggered by fuel leakage

According to P Venkataraman, director-general of the Andhra Pradesh Fire Services Department, the bus’s air-conditioning system batteries also burst, further worsening the situation.

The blaze generated such extreme heat that it melted the aluminium flooring of the bus, he said.

Venkataraman added that the initial fire likely began in the front section due to a fuel leak. A motorcycle had become wedged under the bus, causing petrol to spill and ignite—possibly due to heat or a spark—which quickly set the entire vehicle ablaze.

At the scene, Venkataraman described a horrifying sight: “We saw bones and ash dropping through the melted sheets,” he said, highlighting the devastating loss of life, according to NDTV.

He further pointed out a design flaw in the bus, noting that the use of lightweight aluminium instead of iron, meant to improve speed and efficiency, proved disastrous in this emergency, worsening the scale of destruction.