- By Chetna Shree
- Fri, 24 Oct 2025 11:58 PM (IST)
- Source:JND
Kurnool Bus Fire: At least 20 people, including two minors, were killed when a bus caught fire in Kurnool in the early hours of Friday, police said. The bus, carrying 43 passengers, had collided with a motorcycle before bursting into flames. The motorcyclist also died in the fatal crash.
Speaking to NDTV, a senior police official said that the bus driver, who had stepped out to inspect the situation, panicked and fled instead of helping passengers trapped inside the vehicles. However, the bus driver has now been arrested.
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 local 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 Deputy Chief Minister Pawan Kalyan said the preliminary findings suggest that the fire likely started when the motorcycle became trapped near the bus’s fuel tank, leading to an explosion.
Ex Gratia Announced For Victims’ Families
Andhra Pradesh Transport Minister Ramprasad Reddy expressed his condolences and said Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu has ordered the administration to take prompt and necessary steps following the tragedy.
“Our government stands with the families of those who lost their lives in the tragedy... We have announced Rs 5 lakh each to the families of the deceased and Rs 2 lakh each to the injured. Over 16 teams have been mobilised,” he said.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi also 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.