20 dead as AP bus catches fire

A Bengaluru-bound private bus from Hyderabad caught fire in Kurnool district on Friday after colliding with a two-wheeler, leaving 20 persons dead, most of them charred beyond recognition, the police said.

Among the deceased was the biker.

President Droupadi Murmu, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi, Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu and his Telangana counterpart A Revanth Reddy expressed anguish over the incident.

As many bodies were charred beyond recognition, officials called forensic teams to collect DNA samples of the deceased.

Several passengers couldn't escape the tragedy because it struck at night while they were sleeping, an official said.

According to initial reports, the motorcycle collided with the bus near Chinnatekur in Kurnool and got dragged underneath with its fuel cap open, triggering the blaze.

"So far, 19 bodies have been retrieved from the charred bus. The biker's body is in the mortuary," said Kurnool Range DIG Koya Praveen.

He added that a complete picture of casualties and survivors would emerge only after a thorough investigation and identification of all those involved in the accident.

The bus door got jammed due to a short circuit and the vehicle was completely gutted within minutes. Most survivors were aged between 25 and 35 years, the police added.

District Collector A Siri said 41 persons, including the driver, were travelling in the bus.

Of the 41 onboard, 21 have been traced.

Those who escaped the accident were stable and out of danger, she said.

Many passengers could not escape the tragedy as it occurred during the night when they were asleep, she said, adding that the bus door did not open immediately as some wires got snapped, which worsened the severity of the incident.

Most of the passengers belonged to Hyderabad, Siri added.

Officials had initially said the bus was bound for Hyderabad in neighbouring Telangana. — PTI