Night of Terror on NH-44: Kurnool Bus Fire Claims 20 Lives
Kurnool, Andhra Pradesh — A devastating accident on the Hyderabad-Bengaluru National Highway (NH-44) in the early hours of Friday saw a private luxury bus engulfed in flames near Chinna Tekuru village, resulting in the horrific death of 20 people, including 19 passengers and a motorcyclist. The tragedy has cast a pall over the post-Diwali travel period and reignited serious concerns about safety regulations for long-distance private bus operations.
Deadly Collision and Rapid Inferno
The ill-fated sleeper coach, operated by a private travel company, was en route from Hyderabad to Bengaluru with 46 people onboard, including two drivers, when the disaster struck around 3:00 am.
Preliminary police and survivor accounts suggest the speeding bus collided with a motorcycle travelling on the highway. The impact caused the two-wheeler to get trapped and dragged beneath the bus for several hundred metres. Investigators believe that sparks from the friction, combined with the rupture and subsequent explosion of the motorcycle’s fuel tank, triggered the massive blaze.
The fire, starting from the front of the bus, spread with terrifying speed. Witnesses and survivors described the vehicle turning into a fireball within minutes, leaving the passengers, most of whom were asleep, little to no time to escape.
Trapped in the Flames: Survivor Accounts
The severity of the casualty count has been attributed largely to the passengers being trapped inside the burning vehicle. Survivors recounted moments of sheer terror, highlighting a critical safety failure: the main passenger door reportedly jammed due to the collision and intense heat.
“The doors were locked,” one survivor was quoted as saying. “We yelled and woke everybody up… We broke the emergency window as the main door was locked and jumped out.”
Only 27 individuals, including the two drivers, managed a miraculous escape, with many forced to smash windows to jump out to safety. Most of the deceased were found charred beyond recognition, making identification difficult and necessitating the deployment of special forensic teams for DNA profiling. The victims were reportedly returning to Bengaluru after spending the Diwali holidays with family in Hyderabad.
Investigation Points to Negligence and Safety Lapses
Authorities have launched a full investigation, registering a case against the two bus drivers, one of whom initially fled the scene before being apprehended. The charges include alleged negligence and over-speeding.
However, the probe has also shone a light on systemic failures in bus safety:
- Illegal Modifications: Initial findings suggest the bus was originally registered as a seater coach and was illegally converted into a sleeper coach without adhering to mandated safety standards. Unauthorised modifications, including flammable furnishings and potential cargo of highly combustible items like a large consignment of lithium-ion batteries (as reported in some sources), may have significantly intensified the fire.
- Lack of Safety Tools: Some survivors reported a critical lack of emergency glass-breaking hammers, forcing them to use makeshift tools for their escape.
- Regulatory Loopholes: The incident highlights the persistent issue of private operators flouting transport regulations, including accumulating traffic violation challans for over-speeding and dangerous driving.
In the wake of the tragedy, both the Central and State governments have expressed deep condolences. Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu announced ex-gratia compensation for the families of the deceased and the injured, with calls mounting from the public and political leaders for a swift, thorough inquiry and stricter enforcement of bus safety norms across the country to prevent such recurring highway tragedies.