A private bus caught fire in Kurnool, Andhra Pradesh. More than 20 passengers died in this accident when their bike got stuck under the bus. Some of the 41 passengers saved their lives by breaking the emergency window.
Kurnool: Jayant Kushwaha, traveling in a private bus from Hyderabad, narrated the story of that terrible accident on Friday. He told- As soon as he woke up, he saw the fire in the bus, he could not believe it. When Jayant woke up around 2:30 in the morning, he saw that the bus was on fire and he and the other people were trapped inside because the doors were closed. We shouted ‘Aag-Aag’ and woke up everyone. The doors were closed. The drivers were also nowhere to be seen. The main door was locked, so we broke the emergency window. We jumped out of the window. Many people broke the windows and jumped out of the bus.”
Ashwin, another eyewitness of the accident, said that around 20 people managed to get out of the bus when the fire broke out, but the rest could not. He was the one who told the driver about the fire on the window side.
Ashwin said, “Last night we boarded the bus from Kukatpally to Bengaluru. I was sitting behind the driver’s seat. After a long journey, between 2:30 and 3:30 in the morning, I saw a fire on the window side and immediately informed the driver. The bus was immediately stopped. Meanwhile, we tried to break the windows to escape. About 20 people got out of the bus, but the rest could not.”
A private bus carrying 41 passengers caught fire in Kurnool, Andhra Pradesh, officials confirmed on Friday. The accident occurred after a bike got stuck under the bus and collided with it, killing at least 20 passengers.
What did the District Collector of Kurnool tell…
Kurnool District Collector (DC) A. Siri said- 11 bodies have been identified, while the remaining 9 bodies are yet to be identified. The incident occurred between 3:00 am and 3:10 am on Friday. DC Siri said, “There were a total of 41 people in the bus, including two drivers. A bike got stuck under the bus. After the accident, petrol leaked from the bike and caught fire. Out of the 41 people, we have traced 21 passengers. They are safe. 11 bodies have been taken out from the bus. 21 people have suffered minor injuries and are undergoing treatment. The doors of the bus did not open after the accident. Both the drivers managed to escape the fire. This incident happened late.” night Hui and the passengers were sleeping. After the accident, the wires of the bus were cut and the doors did not open. We are investigating the matter. The passengers were coming from Hyderabad, and we are tracing the families of the deceased. We have set up a control room to help.”
A fire officer said – The bus collided with a bike, dragging it along due to which petrol of the bike leaked and caught fire. There were no safety hammers to break the glass after the fire. The bus driver did not stop the bus after colliding with the bike. The diesel tank of the bus did not catch fire, but the bus was completely burnt to ashes.
From President to CM expressed grief over this accident:
President Draupadi Murmu expressed grief over the death of at least 20 people in the massive fire that broke out in the bus. “It is extremely unfortunate that the loss of lives in a tragic bus fire accident in Kurnool, Andhra Pradesh. I express my heartfelt condolences to the bereaved family members and pray for the speedy recovery of the injured,” she posted on Twitter.
Union Minister of State for Home Bandi Sanjay Kumar said- I am deeply saddened by the horrific bus fire incident that took place on the Hyderabad-Bangalore route near Kurnool. It is heartbreaking to see more than 20 innocent passengers losing their lives in this manner. My prayers are with the families of the victims and the injured. No words can ease their pain, but they should get all possible help without any delay.”
Andhra Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu said- I am shocked to know about the devastating bus fire accident near Chinna Tekur village in Kurnool district. My deepest condolences to the families of those who have lost their loved ones.