News Desk – At least 20 people, including two children, were killed when a private AC sleeper bus caught fire after colliding with a motorcycle on National Highway 44 near Chinnatekuru village in Andhra Pradesh’s Kurnool district early Friday morning.
The bus, operated by Vemuri Kaveri Travels, was travelling from Hyderabad to Bengaluru with 46 people on board, including four children and two drivers. The accident occurred around 3 a.m. when the bus hit a bike and dragged it for some distance, causing sparks that ignited the vehicle’s fuel tank. The biker also died, taking the total toll to 20.
As flames spread quickly, many passengers were trapped inside. Locals and police rushed to the scene, rescuing several passengers despite the fire and heavy rain. Firefighters, police, and medical teams worked for hours to control the blaze and move the injured to Kurnool Government General Hospital.
Home Minister Vangalapudi Anitha said six victims each were from Andhra Pradesh and Telangana, two each from Tamil Nadu and Karnataka, and one each from Odisha and Bihar. One passenger’s identity is yet to be confirmed. Several bodies were charred beyond recognition, prompting forensic teams to collect DNA samples for identification.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed deep grief over the tragedy and announced ₹2 lakh compensation each for the families of the deceased and ₹50,000 for the injured. Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu, currently in the UAE, also announced ₹5 lakh compensation for families from Andhra Pradesh and ₹2 lakh for the injured. Telangana Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy conveyed condolences and directed state officials to coordinate relief efforts.
Two bus drivers have been taken into custody for questioning. Sixteen forensic teams have been deployed for DNA and chemical analysis.
Home Minister Anitha said strict action would be taken against those responsible, and a high-power committee would soon be formed to improve highway bus safety standards. Transport Minister Mandipalli Ramprasad Reddy said the bus, which was seven years old, lacked automatic fire alarm systems found in newer vehicles.
