Bus Fire in Kurnool Kills 20
The V Kaveri Travels bus was travelling from Hyderabad to Bengaluru with around 40 passengers and two drivers when the accident occurred
KURNOOL: Twenty passengers, including two children, were killed when a private travel bus belonging to Vemuri Kaveri Travels bound for Bengaluru from Hyderabad caught fire after hitting a two-wheeler on National Highway 44 near Kurnool in Andhra Pradesh early on Friday. Most of the victims were techies and families returning from the Diwali festivities and personal functions. The two drivers of the bus, including M. Lakshmaiah, who was at the wheel, have been arrested.
Another 27 passengers, nine of whom were injured, had a miraculous escape, most of them jumping out of the rear windows of the bus, which had been broken open. Survivors at the Kurnool Government General Hospital told this correspondent that the main door failed to open after the collision, forcing them to break the side windows to escape.
The mishap occurred around 3 am after the bus hit a two-wheeler going in the same direction, killing its rider, 21-year-old B. Shiva Sankar of Kurnool, on the spot. Preliminary investigations suggested that the bus driver did not stop after the accident and drove for about 300 feet, resulting in the two-wheeler getting entangled under the vehicle and getting dragged along. It is suspected that the fuel tank burst, leading to the flames that quickly engulfed the bus.
President Droupadi Murmu, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and chief ministers N. Chandrababu Naidu of Andhra Pradesh and A. Revanth Reddy of Telangana expressed shock over the incident and offered condolences to the bereaved families. The Centre and the state governments announced ex gratia of `5 lakhs to the kin of each of the deceased and `2 lakhs for each of the injured.
The bus had a permit for a seater service but had been converted to a sleeper with its narrow confines and restricted space for passengers. Officials observed that the bus lacked emergency safety equipment, including glass-breaking hammers and clearly marked exit routes.
According to passengers who jumped off the bus, the two drivers stopped the bus when it became difficult to move ahead and got down. They were seen examining the vehicle and trying to douse the flames with water bottles. “They should have raised an alarm. Some more lives could have been saved,” one passenger told mediapersons near the accident site.
The fire left the victims' bodies badly damaged, making identification difficult. Police contacted the family members based on the details furnished by the passengers while booking tickets. “The details of all the dead passengers could be traced except one. Six each of the deceased belonged to Andhra Pradesh and Telangana, two each to Tamil Nadu and Karnataka, and one each to Odisha and Bihar,” said Andhra Pradesh home minister V. Anitha, who rushed to the spot along with transport minister M. Ramprasad Reddy. The bodies will be handed over after completing the DNA matching, she added.
The bus (DD01 N 9490), belonging to Vemuri Kaveri Travels, was initially registered in Diu Daman and later was transferred to Odisha. It continued to ply with Diu Daman plates. Initially, the drivers told police that a bike had fallen on the road, possibly from an earlier accident and their bus overran the two-wheeler.
“Based on forensic analysis, the postmortem report of the biker B. Shiva Sankar, a resident of Kurnool, scene reconstruction and witness statements, it was established that bus driver M. Lakshmaiah hit a bike,” Kurnool superintendent of police Vikrant Patil told this newspaper.
Fire tenders were pressed into service sometime after the mishap. Officials found that besides the bus batteries and highly flammable furnishings, cargo consisting of mobile phones aggravated the fire. “We found damaged spare parts of the handsets of a particular brand of mobile phones,” a senior fire services official told this newspaper.
Maintaining that one person who boarded at Aramgarh without a pre-booked ticket was yet to be identified, Mr Patil urged people having any information to contact 08518277305.
The bus had started from Moosapet in Hyderabad at around 9.30 pm on Thursday. A total of 40 passengers were on board, along with two drivers and a cleaner. Many of the victims are software engineers, private employees and families who attended Diwali celebrations or personal functions and were returning to Bengaluru. Some families perished in the mishap, leaving their relatives in deep shock.
Following the instructions of Mr Reddy, Telangana excise minister J. Krishna Rao, along with joint secretary of relief S. Harish, also rushed to the spot to monitor relief operations and help shift the injured from Telangana to their respective places.
Kurnool: Andhra Pradesh Home Minister Anitha Venkataraman on Friday visited the site of the tragic private bus fire near Chinnatekur in Kallur mandal, Kurnool district, where 19 passengers lost their lives.
The minister was accompanied by DGP Harish Kumar Gupta and Intelligence Chief Mahesh Chandra Ladda (IPS) during the inspection. They reviewed the circumstances surrounding the accident and discussed the findings with local police officers.
Home Minister Anitha said that DNA tests will be conducted at the site if required to help identify the victims.
She added that Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu has ordered a comprehensive investigation into the incident and directed officials to submit a detailed report at the earliest.
In the wake of the tragic bus accident in Kurnool district, Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu has ordered a comprehensive inquiry involving transport ministers and officials from neighbouring States.
Holding a video conference with Transport Minister Mandipalli Ram Prasad Reddy and senior officials on Friday, the Chief Minister directed them to trace the identities of the deceased and ensure immediate assistance to their families. He also instructed that the injured be provided the best possible medical care without delay.
Telangana Transport Minister Ponnam Prabhakar expressed deep sorrow over the recent bus accident in Kurnool, extending condolences to the families of the deceased. He stated that the Chief Minister is closely monitoring the situation and that immediate measures from the transport department have been instructed where necessary.
The Andhra Pradesh Transport Department clarified that the private bus (Registration No. DD01 N0430) involved in the tragic fire accident near Chinnatekur on National Highway-44 was in good condition and had all valid documents.
Officials said the bus, registered under Kaveri Travels in Daman and Diu on May 2, 2018, had a valid tourist permit till April 30, 2030, fitness certificate till March 31, 2027, and insurance coverage till April 20, 2026.
“The bus was mechanically fit. The fire broke out after it crashed into a bike, causing a major blaze. A thorough probe is underway, and preventive measures will be taken based on the investigation report,” the Transport Department stated.
The accident occurred in the early hours of Friday near Chinnatekur on NH-44, Kurnool outskirts. Several passengers were charred to death after the bus caught fire following the collision.
Home Minister Anita Vangalapudi and DGP Harish Kumar Gupta to Visit Chinnabekuru, Kalluru Mandal
In the wake of the recent bus accident at Chinnabekuru in Kalluru Mandal, Kurnool district, Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu has directed Home Minister Anita Vangalapudi and DGP Harish Kumar Gupta to personally visit the site. The officials will assess the situation and oversee relief and rescue operations to ensure timely assistance to the affected.
The private bus that caught fire in Kurnool, leaving several passengers feared dead, has a record of multiple traffic violations in Telangana.
According to Telangana Traffic Police data, the vehicle had e-challans worth ₹23,000 for offences including overspeeding, dangerous driving, and wrong-side driving. It was also penalised for entering no-entry zones (9 instances) and unauthorised parking, besides disobedience of orders and failure to carry a driving licence.
In a heart-wrenching development, four members of the same family from Gollavaripalli village in Vinjamuru mandal, Nellore district, lost their lives in the Kurnool bus fire accident that occurred early Friday.
The victims have been identified as G. Ramesh (35), his wife Anusha (32), and their children Yashwanth (8) and Manvita (6).
The family, who had been residing in Bengaluru, were traveling from Hyderabad to Bengaluru when the private sleeper bus caught fire after colliding with a motorcycle near Chintikuru village in Kurnool district.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi express grief over the tragic bus accident in Kurnool.
https://www.deccanchronicle.com/amp/southern-states/andhra-pradesh/kurnool-bus-mishap-pm-modi-announces-ex-gratia-1912193
The State government has established a dedicated helpline to assist the families of passengers affected by the tragic bus fire accident that occurred on October 24, 2025, at Chintikuru village in Kurnool district.
The ill-fated bus was traveling from Hyderabad to Bangalore when the accident took place.
To facilitate coordination and support for victims’ families, the government has appointed the following officials:
M. Sri Rama Chandra, Assistant Secretary – 9912919545
E. Chitti Babu, Section Officer – 9440854433
Kurnool: Following the private travels bus accident in Chinnatekur village of Kalluru mandal, the Kurnool district administration has set up control rooms at various locations to coordinate relief efforts and provide information to victims’ families.
Control Room Numbers:
Collectorate Control Room: 08518-277305
Kurnool Government General Hospital Control Room: 9121101059
Accident Site Control Room: 9121101061
Kurnool Police Office Control Room: 9121101075
Hospital Help Desk Numbers:
9494609814, 9052951010
District Collector Dr. A. Siri has appealed to affected families to contact the above numbers for updates and assistance.