New Delhi, October 24: In a devastating incident, at least 20 passengers were charred to death and several others injured after a Volvo bus caught fire in Andhra Pradesh’s Kurnool district in the early hours of Friday. The bus, carrying 41 passengers from Hyderabad to Bengaluru, went up in flames near Chinnatekur village in Kallur mandal following a collision with a motorcycle that led to a fuel leak.
Kurnool District Collector A Siri said the mishap occurred between 3:00 am and 3:10 am while most passengers were asleep. “Out of the 41 passengers, 21 have been rescued safely. The bodies of 11 deceased have been identified so far. Efforts are underway to identify the rest,” she stated. Officials said the impact of the crash damaged the bus’s electrical wiring, causing the doors to jam and trapping passengers inside.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed deep sorrow over the tragedy and announced an ex-gratia of ₹2 lakh each for the next of kin of the deceased and ₹50,000 for the injured from the Prime Minister’s National Relief Fund (PMNRF). “Extremely saddened by the loss of lives due to a mishap in Kurnool district of Andhra Pradesh. My thoughts are with the affected people and their families,” the PMO said in a post on X.
Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu said the state government would provide all necessary support to the victims and their families. “I am shocked to learn about the devastating bus fire near Chinnatekur village. My heartfelt condolences to the families of those who lost their loved ones,” Naidu posted.
President Droupadi Murmu and Vice-President C.P. Radhakrishnan also extended condolences, describing the incident as “deeply unfortunate.” Union Minister of State for Home Affairs Bandi Sanjay Kumar termed the accident “heartbreaking” and called for swift assistance to the victims.
BJP state leaders, acting on the instructions of State President P.V.N. Madhav, visited the site to assess the situation. Authorities confirmed that the bus was completely gutted in the fire and that a detailed inquiry has been ordered to determine the exact cause of the incident.
Emergency teams have set up a control room to assist families of the deceased and injured, while the rescued passengers are being treated at nearby hospitals.
