Kurnool bus tragedy: Biker struggles to balance bike before crashing into bus | Watch

Screengrab from video

After a devastating bus fire in Kurnool claimed 20 lives, CCTV footage circulating on social media showed that the biker, who is suspected to have caused the fire inside the bus, was intoxicated at the time of the accident.

The tragedy unfolded when the bus collided with a motorcycle whose fuel cap was reportedly open. The two-wheeler was dragged beneath the bus, triggering a massive fire that engulfed the vehicle within moments.

The video, recorded around 2:20 am, shows the biker and a pillion rider arriving at a petrol pump. The video showed him arriving at a petrol pump with a pillion rider  at around 2:20 am.

The man riding pillion then walked away from the frame, seemingly to find someone to refuel their vehicle, as no attendant was present at the spot, News 18 reported, while citing the video.

The CCTV video of the biker who is involved in #Kurnool #BusAccident 😔

Looks like #drunk 😶

Reason for 19 #innocent 😥 lifes 😫#FireAccident #BusAccident#Hyderabad #bangalore pic.twitter.com/VnED4tEtKT

— cherry_Vibes😎 (@CAdusumall41381) October 25, 2025

The footage also captured the biker struggling to balance his motorcycle as he exited the pump premises. The video shows him riding the bike recklessly on his way out from the petrol station.

The impact of the collision that took place between the bus and the bike was catastrophic. The fire spread rapidly, leaving most victims charred beyond recognition. Officials called forensic teams to collect DNA samples of the deceased after the incident.

Police identified the biker as Bucchalu Shiva Shankar of B Thandrapadu village in Kurnool district, who died instantly upon impact.

Kurnool Superintendent of Police Vikrant Patel said the collision sparked the fire after the bike got trapped under the bus. “The bike was dragged under the bus and the sparks from this resulted in the fire. The bus batteries, presence of flammable furnishings in the bus, and the cargo consisting of cell phones aggravated the fire leading to the tragic event," he said.

Authorities are continuing investigations to confirm whether the biker’s intoxicated state directly led to the collision that resulted in one of the region’s deadliest road accidents in recent years.