A private bus owned by the travel operator Vemuri Kaveri Travels was busy heading from Hyderabad to Bengaluru when a tragedy struck near Ullindakonda in Kurnool district on Friday morning. The bus, a Volvo model carrying 41 passengers—including two young children—was involved in a collision with a two‑wheeler on National Highway 44 (NH‑44) at about 3:30 a.m.
The hit left the motorbike stuck under the bus’s belly and is thought to have sparked a fire as fuel leaked from the bike’s tank. Survivors say the two‑wheeler was dragged roughly 300 meters before the bus finally burst into flames, engulfing the vehicle within minutes.
Only 19 people escaped by smashing through the windows. Police and emergency crews reached the scene quickly, but most passengers were asleep when the fire erupted. Eleven of the victims were later taken to hospitals in Kurnool in a stable condition, while nine bodies have been recovered so far. Authorities still cannot locate 20 of the passengers, including both drivers of the bus.
District Collector A. Siri told reporters that officials have identified 21 of the 41 occupants. “We still need to find the remaining 20. Eleven bodies are already recovered,” she said. “The injured are in stable condition.”
Deputy Inspector General of Police Koya Praveen clarified that the fire began in the bike’s fuel tank. “The bus’s fuel tank remains intact. The fuel from the bike ignited, and because the area under the bus is highly flammable, the blaze spread quickly,” he explained.
A joint effort involving police, fire services, and medical staff has been set up at the wreck site. The team is pulling remains out of the charred bus and will conduct DNA tests to identify all the victims. One of the survivors, named Akash, remembered waking up to the sound of screams and the smell of burning. “The fire took the bus by surprise,” he said.
The incident raises serious concerns about road safety for long‑haul journeys in Andhra Pradesh. Authorities are reviewing how private travel operators handle emergencies and what safety measures can prevent such tragedies. For now, the community waits for further updates on the missing passengers and for answers from the investigation.
Source: ianslive
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