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In a horrific road accident on the Hyderabad–Bengaluru highway, at least 20 passengers were reportedly killed and several others injured after a private V Kaveri Travels sleeper bus caught fire following a collision with a motorbike near Chinnatekuru village in Kurnool district around 3.30 am on Friday, October 24. According to reports, the death toll is likely to increase further.
The luxury coach, carrying around 41 passengers including two children, was travelling from Hyderabad to Bengaluru when the accident occurred. Eyewitnesses said the bus caught fire immediately after the impact, trapping several passengers inside as flames engulfed the vehicle within seconds.
Dr Siri, Kurnool district Collector, said that 21 passengers had been traced and found safe. Of the remaining 20 passengers, 11 bodies were identified, she said.
Police said one of the bus drivers was in their custody, while the main driver was yet to be found.
Kurnool SP Vikrant Patil told the media, "Around 3 am, the Kaveri A/C bus was going from Hyderabad to Bengaluru. A two-wheeler going in the same direction seems to have hit the bus, because we found a two-wheeler stuck in front of the bus. That’s where the fire seems to have started as per preliminary information.
Noticing the smoke, passengers and some passersby tried to break open the glass. Some people jumped outside, the others who were trapped are suspected to have died of burn injuries."
According to preliminary reports, the blaze erupted from the front portion of the bus, spreading rapidly as passengers, most of them asleep till then, struggled to escape. Some managed to break open the windows and flee through the emergency exit, but many were trapped inside due to thick smoke, jammed doors, and the intensity of the flames. Local residents and shopkeepers rushed to the spot to help, but heavy rain hampered rescue efforts before firefighters could fully douse the blaze.
DIG Koya Praveen said combustible materials inside the vehicle contributed to the spread of the fire, even though the fuel tank remained intact. “The bus lacked sufficient safety features to contain or mitigate fire incidents,” he said, adding that 12 people managed to escape with burn injuries while the rest were charred to death.
Both Andhra Pradesh and Telangana Chief Ministers expressed deep shock over the tragedy. Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu, who is currently on a UAE visit, termed the accident “devastating” and assured that “all possible support will be extended to the injured and affected families.” He directed senior officials to visit the spot and oversee relief measures.
Telangana Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy also conveyed condolences and instructed officials to coordinate with their Andhra Pradesh counterparts for immediate assistance and to establish a helpline.
Several national leaders took to social media to express grief. Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar, in a post on X, said he was “deeply saddened by the loss of precious lives in the Kurnool bus fire.” President Droupadi Murmu wrote that she was “pained beyond words” and offered condolences to the bereaved families. YSRCP Chief YS Jagan Mohan Reddy also posted his condolences, praying for strength to the families of the victims.
The tragedy comes just days after a similar incident in Rajasthan’s Jaisalmer district, where 22 passengers, including three children, died when a bus caught fire on October 14.
Authorities in both states have initiated investigations into the Kurnool accident, with forensic and transport teams deployed to determine the exact cause of the fire.