Kurnool tragedy: Documents reveal bus was illegally converted into sleeper coach, says report

As many as 20 people died in the bus, which was carrying around 44 passengers to Bengaluru

The Bengaluru-bound bus, which engulfed in flames in Andhra Pradesh’s Kurnool on Friday, had reportedly flouted several transport regulations. Belonging to Vemuri Kaveri Travels, the bus caught fire after colliding with a two-wheeler – with the blaze being triggered after the bike was dragged underneath the bus.

The vehicle had reportedly been converted into a sleeper coach without the required authorisation and was operating across states under suspicious documentation.

Official records accessed by The New Indian Express show that the bus with registration number DD01 N9490 was owned by Vemuri Vinod Kumar, owner of Vemuri Kaveri Travels.

Purchased on May 2, 2018, it was registered in Daman and Diu. On April 29, 2025, the registration was transferred to the Rayagada RTO in Odisha under G Bijaya Laxmi, with officials noting that the address provided appears unverified.

Further inspection disclosed that the base (tourist) permit issued by Odisha authorities is valid between May 1, 2025 to April 30, 2030. Meanwhile, the fitness certificate issued issued by Silvassa (Daman and Diu) officials remains valid up to March 31, 2027, according to The New Indian Express report.

The bus had all required documents – from insurance, fitness, to road tax -- yet officials overlooked that it was originally a seater coach and had been converted into a sleeper without following proper safety protocols.

As many as 20 people died in the bus, which was carrying around 44 passengers to Bengaluru. Most of the victims were charred beyond recognition, police said.

Condolences poured in, with President Droupadi Murmu, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi, Chief Ministers N Chandrababu Naidu (Andhra Pradesh) and A Revanth Reddy (Telangana) expressing anguish over the early morning incident.

The Centre, Andhra Pradesh and Telangana governments announced ex-gratia.

According to a police official cited by PTI, following a complaint by survivor N Ramesh, the Ulindakonda Police in Kurnool district have booked two bus drivers for negligent and over-speed driving in the fatal bus fire case, under Sections 125(a) (endangering human life) and 106(1) (causing death by negligence) of the BNS Act.

Several passengers were fast asleep and died without even realizing what was happening when the vehicle caught fire around 3 am. The blaze completely gutted the sleeper bus, reducing it to a metal skeleton.

“Passenger safety is being traded for money. Many private operators employ unqualified drivers, and collude with RTA officials to obtain approvals for illegally modified buses. The unauthorised designs make the vehicles structurally unstable, and increase the risk of fatalities in accidents,” an official told The New Indian Express on condition of anonymity.