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A day after a devastating bus accident took place in Kurnool, which claimed the lives of 20 people, the Telangana Excise Minister Jupally Krishna Rao pinned the blame on the driver and the travel company, Kaveri Travels. The minister pledged to come down hard on the offenders and punish those who are responsible.

"The initial cause of the fire was the driver's negligence. If he had stopped the bus after hitting the 2-wheeler, instead of trying to flee, this major fire would not have happened," the minister said, quoted NDTV. The minister further pointed out that the bus hit the motorcycle, dragged it for 200 meters, which generated the sparks that ignited the fire. In a crucial mistake, the driver stopped the bus, got out, and attempted to fight the flames with water instead of immediately evacuating the passengers. 

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Jupally Krishna Rao further said, "When the fire got out of hand, Laxmaiah fled, abandoning the bus passengers. Raising an alarm and guiding the passengers to safety could have saved lives."

The minister highlighted that both drivers failed to aid the passengers, and the delay worsened the scale of the accident. He held Kaveri Travels accountable for neglecting to train their drivers and staff in crisis management and standard operating procedures that should be followed in terms of such situations. Meanwhile, Telangana Transport Minister Ponnam Prabhakar also warned that operators found negligent will be booked for murder.

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Kurnool Bus Fire Tragedy

- The luxury AC sleeper bus, travelling from Hyderabad to Bengaluru, collided with a motorcycle in Kurnool around 3 AM on Friday. The bike became trapped under the bus and was dragged along, creating friction that is believed to have sparked the fire that killed 20.

- Kurnool Superintendent of Police Vikrant Patil said that while the bus’s second driver assisted passengers, the main driver responsible for the accident panicked and fled the scene.

- "As of now, we know a two-wheeler came under the bus. The driver got down to see what happened. He saw the fire had started, and he woke the other driver, and they tried to put out the fire together. After the fire spread, the main driver ran in panic. The second driver helped break the windows, as did residents. They helped passengers get out. We have recovered 19 bodies of people who were on the bus and the body of the two-wheeler rider," Patil said.

- Following the incident, forensic teams reached the site to collect evidence and samples from the completely charred bus. DNA samples are also being collected to identify the victims, and a help desk has also been set up at the scene.

- Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu expressed deep concern on Friday over the bus mishap and directed the ministers and officials to help the victims immediately.

- Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister, DK Shivakumar, said, "It is a tragic incident. It is a lesson for all of us. A probe should be conducted into the incident. All the states should work out safety measures following this. We pray for the families of the deceased. 15 days ago, a Blue Line bus met with the same fate, but luckily, all escaped."

- Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced an ex gratia of Rs 2 lakh for the families of those who lost their lives and Rs 50,000 for each of the injured.

- The Telangana government had also announced an ex gratia amount of Rs 5 lakh to the family of the deceased and Rs 2 lakh to those who got injured. 

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