CCTV footage shows the Kurnool bus fire started after dragging a crashed bike, uncovering serious safety lapses by the private operator
HYDERABAD
Fresh details have emerged in the Kurnool bus fire tragedy that killed 19 passengers, revealing that the accident occurred after a private sleeper bus dragged a motorcycle whose rider had already died moments earlier. Police found that the victim, identified as Siva Sankar, had skidded and died near Chinnatekur before the Bengaluru-bound bus struck and dragged his bike, triggering the massive blaze.
According to CCTV footage, Sankar and his friend Yerriswami refueled their bike with ₹300 worth of petrol at a nearby bunk shortly before the crash. The footage showed Sankar behaving impatiently and losing balance inside the station, raising suspicions that he might have been under the influence of alcohol. After Sankar’s fatal fall, Yerriswami attempted to move the vehicle when the bus collided with it, causing the fire.
Preliminary investigations revealed that the bus, owned by V Kaveri Travels, violated multiple safety norms. The modified sleeper coach lacked fire detection and suppression systems, non-flammable materials, and adequate emergency exits. Officials confirmed that it had been converted illegally from a 43-seater to a 42-berth sleeper bus without proper approval.
Authorities from the Road Transport Authority and police inspected both accident sites on Saturday. Kurnool SP Vikrant Patil confirmed that a case has been registered and investigations into the bus operator’s violations are underway.
Reportedly, the explosion of a consignment of 234 smartphones may have aggravated the blaze, indicated the preliminary investigation by the Andhra Pradesh police. The consignment of smartphones worth Rs 46 lakh belonged to a Hyderabad-based businessman and was to be delivered to a company in Bengaluru.
