The tragic bus fire that killed multiple passengers in Andhra Pradesh’s Kurnool district has taken a new turn, with investigators now suspecting that a third vehicle may have played a role in triggering the deadly blaze. Days after the horrific incident involving a sleeper bus operated by V. Kaveri Travels, fresh forensic and eyewitness details have emerged, adding new layers to what initially appeared to be a straightforward case of collision between a bus and a motorcycle.
What began as a routine overnight journey turned into a night of terror when the private sleeper bus, carrying 44 passengers, burst into flames along the Kurnool–Hyderabad highway. Several passengers were asleep when the bus caught fire, leaving them little time to escape. Survivors later recounted how they smashed windows with bare hands and luggage pieces to save themselves as the fire rapidly consumed the vehicle.
Initially, authorities believed that the bus fire had been triggered after it collided with a motorcycle that had been travelling along the same stretch of road. The impact reportedly caused the two-wheeler to get trapped beneath the bus, leading to a fuel spill that ignited the fire. However, new findings by the Kurnool police have challenged this theory, indicating that the motorcycle may have already been involved in a separate accident moments before the bus arrived at the scene.
Evidence Points to a Possible Chain Collision
According to police sources, the bus was traveling northwards when it struck a motorcycle lying on the highway. The bike’s fuel tank, which was already ruptured, is believed to have exploded upon impact, setting off a chain reaction that engulfed the bus in flames. Yet, skid mark analysis conducted at the site revealed inconsistencies that have prompted investigators to suspect the involvement of another vehicle.
“The difference in the skid mark position of the bike indicates that another vehicle could have hit it before the bus ran over it,” Kurnool District Superintendent of Police (SP) Vikrant Patil told the Press Trust of India. “We are investigating to determine whether a third vehicle was involved in this accident.”
Police discovered that the motorcycle had been dragged for a short distance before being completely crushed under the front wheels of the bus. However, the distance between the initial point of the bike’s fall and the spot where it was found after the crash suggests that it had moved further after the first collision—possibly due to being struck by another vehicle prior to the bus’s arrival.
This revelation has shifted the focus of the investigation from mechanical failure or driver negligence to a possible multi-vehicle accident scenario. Officials have begun reviewing CCTV footage from nearby petrol pumps and toll booths to trace any vehicles that may have been in the vicinity at the time of the incident.
A Tragic Night on the Highway
The accident occurred in the early hours of the morning when the bus, carrying passengers from Hyderabad to Bengaluru, reached a stretch of the highway near Nandanavanam in Kurnool district. The impact and subsequent fire were so sudden that several passengers had no chance to react. Many survivors later described the fire spreading “within seconds,” fed by both diesel and flammable materials stored in the luggage compartment.
Local residents who witnessed the fire rushed to the scene and tried to rescue those trapped inside. Videos from the incident showed flames engulfing the bus completely as people shouted for help. Firefighters and police arrived soon after but were able to do little beyond controlling the flames and recovering the charred remains.
Initial reports said that several passengers escaped by breaking windows on the upper deck of the sleeper coach. However, those seated in the lower berths faced greater difficulty due to blocked aisles and dense smoke. The fire burned so intensely that the vehicle was reduced to a metal shell within minutes.
Forensic Findings: Lithium Batteries May Have Worsened the Blaze
As forensic teams examined the wreckage, new details emerged that deepened the mystery. Investigators found evidence that the bus was also carrying a consignment of new mobile phones in its luggage compartment—along with a set of electrical batteries linked to the air-conditioning system. Both of these factors are now believed to have played a major role in intensifying the fire.
According to Andhra Pradesh Fire Services Director General P. Venkataramana, the blaze may have become uncontrollable after the lithium-ion batteries inside the smartphones exploded due to extreme heat. “These new mobile phones stored in the luggage cabin of the bus might have caught fire and exploded, aggravating the blaze,” he told reporters. “Eyewitnesses have mentioned hearing popping sounds, consistent with battery explosions.”
Venkataramana added that the electric batteries powering the bus’s AC unit also likely exploded under the high temperatures generated by the burning fuel. Combined with the petrol spill from the crushed motorcycle, these explosions created a firestorm that spread far more quickly than normal combustion could account for.
Fire experts noted that lithium-ion batteries can become highly volatile when exposed to heat or physical damage, leading to a “thermal runaway” reaction that causes multiple small explosions in quick succession. This, they said, could explain the unusually rapid spread of flames that trapped passengers inside.
The Search for Answers and Accountability
With the new evidence suggesting multiple contributing factors—including the presence of hazardous cargo, electrical malfunctions, and possibly a third vehicle—the Kurnool police have widened the scope of their investigation. SP Vikrant Patil confirmed that officers are working with forensic experts to reconstruct the sequence of events leading to the fire.
Investigators are also examining whether V. Kaveri Travels, the private operator of the bus, violated any safety regulations. Authorities are looking into reports that the bus was carrying undeclared commercial goods, such as smartphones, which may not have been permitted under passenger transport guidelines.
Questions are also being raised about the mechanical condition of the vehicle and whether it had undergone proper safety inspections. A preliminary review by the transport department suggested that the bus was fitted with an auxiliary battery pack for its AC system, an addition that may not have been part of its original design. Such modifications, if unregulated, could have contributed to the explosion.
Survivors’ Accounts Paint a Grim Picture
For survivors, the night remains a blur of fear and confusion. One passenger recalled waking up to a loud bang followed by intense heat and smoke. “I saw flames outside the window and realised the bus was on fire. We broke the glass with a metal rod and jumped out,” he said. Another survivor described how people screamed for help as the narrow aisle became impassable due to fire and thick smoke.
Local residents who helped in the rescue said they could hear muffled cries from inside but were unable to reach those trapped by the flames. “By the time fire engines arrived, the entire bus was engulfed. It was heartbreaking,” said a villager who witnessed the tragedy.
Authorities Promise Action and Safety Review
In response to growing public concern, Andhra Pradesh authorities have announced that they will conduct a comprehensive review of long-distance private bus operations in the state. The review will include checks on the carriage of commercial goods, battery installations, and compliance with fire safety norms.
Officials have also promised stricter enforcement of rules prohibiting combustible materials from being stored in passenger buses. “This tragic incident underscores the need for tighter monitoring of private bus operators and their safety practices,” said a senior transport official.
Meanwhile, the families of the victims continue to demand justice and accountability. As police probe deeper into the chain of events and forensic teams analyse the evidence, the central question remains: was this a tragic accident caused by chance—or the result of negligence compounded by multiple regulatory lapses?
A Case Far from Closed
The Kurnool bus fire, initially seen as a single-vehicle mishap, has now evolved into a complex investigation involving forensic science, accident reconstruction, and regulatory scrutiny. With police now suspecting the involvement of a third vehicle, the mystery behind one of Andhra Pradesh’s worst road tragedies continues to deepen.
As investigators piece together the final moments before the blaze, one thing is clear: the Kurnool tragedy was not merely a case of bad luck, but a chilling reminder of how small oversights—an unsafe road, a damaged motorcycle, an unreported cargo, or an unapproved modification—can combine to produce catastrophic consequences.
For the families who lost loved ones, the hope is that a thorough investigation will bring both closure and reform, ensuring that such a devastating night is never repeated on India’s highways.
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