Kurnool Bus Fire Exposes Safety Gaps
“These doors are lightweight but useless once flames reach them”: Dr R.S. Nair - A transport safety researcher and professor at a university in the city
HYDERABAD: The Kurnool sleeper bus tragedy, which killed more than 20 passengers earlier this week, has brought new focus to how poorly India’s intercity coaches are equipped for emergencies — from doors that jam in heat to the missing hammers meant to shatter escape windows.
Officials said the Hyderabad–Bengaluru coach’s main door jammed after the collision and fire. Deputy inspector general Koya Praveen told reporters that the latch “could not be released from inside once the heat rose,” suggesting that the doorframe had warped.
Investigators and fire experts say most contract carriage buses use thin aluminium or mild-steel doors, held by PVC-coated seals that melt at around 150 °C, leaving the latch mechanism locked. “These doors are lightweight but useless once flames reach them,” said Dr R.S. Nair, a transport safety researcher and professor at a university in the city. “They need reinforced composite frames and heat-resistant silicone seals to hold shape long enough for passengers to escape.”
By contrast, luxury film caravans and vanity vans use marine-grade aluminium alloy panels, fibre-glass reinforced plastic (FRP) and ceramic wool insulation that withstand temperatures up to 800 °C. “Caravans have automatic pneumatic doors with dual-latch release and internal override levers,” said Raghavendra Reddy, a vehicle fabricator who has worked on several high-end units. “They also come with two extinguishers and a mandatory safety walkthrough before every trip.”
Fire-safety auditors say such briefings are almost unheard of on public buses. “Passengers are never told where the exits or hammers are,” said Sandeep Reddy, who services long-distance coaches in Medchal. “In many buses, the hammer is tied down with a plastic strap, and the extinguisher is either expired or missing.”
The Automotive Industry Standard (AIS-052) and IS 15061 together require every passenger vehicle to have two functional exits, emergency glass-breaking tools, and flame-tested interiors. Yet, field checks after the Kurnool incident found that many buses did not display safety instructions or provide working extinguishers.
Transport engineers say simple retrofits could prevent future disasters: dual-release FRP doors, clearly marked window hammers, audible alarms and two-minute safety briefings before departure. “If an airline can explain exits in thirty seconds, a bus can too,” said Nair. “The difference is that one industry treats safety as procedure, the other as paperwork.”
Officials say the transport department should now draft a circular to make pre-ride safety briefings, functional hammers, and valid extinguishers mandatory in all intercity services. For many commuters who board these night buses each day, that could finally mean a chance to escape, not just a ride that ends in smoke.