(Image source from: PTI)
Following a bus crash that resulted in the loss of 20 lives in the Kurnool district of Andhra Pradesh, the Ulindakonda police in Kurool filed a report against the drivers of both the bus and the motorcycle. This report was made after a survivor, N Ramesh, claimed the drivers were driving recklessly and too fast. The case has been filed under certain sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, which address putting lives in danger and causing death through negligence. The government of Andhra Pradesh has also set up 16 teams to conduct a detailed inquiry into the bus fire incident that occurred on Friday, October 24. After visiting the crash site near Chinnatekur village on the outskirts of Kurnool, Andhra’s Home Minister V Anitha informed the press that 27 individuals, including the bus drivers, escaped from the private bus that caught fire after colliding with a motorcycle that became lodged underneath it.
The bus, operated by V. Kaveri Travels, was traveling from Hyderabad to Bengaluru. Nine passengers sustained injuries, with six receiving care at the Government General Hospital in Kurnool and three others admitted to a private medical facility. All injured individuals are reported to be in stable condition. Among the 19 people who lost their lives in the accident are two children. Six of the deceased hailed from Andhra Pradesh and Telangana, two each from Karnataka and Tamil Nadu, and one each from Odisha and Bihar. One body has yet to be identified. Since the remains were badly burned, they will be returned to the families after DNA tests, according to Anitha, who was with Transport Minister Ramprasad Reddy. The Home Minister stated there were a total of 39 adults, four children, and one unidentified person on the bus. She noted that the initial investigation indicated the bus struck a motorcycle, which was then dragged a short distance. The bike became lodged under the bus, and a spark created by the collision, along with fuel leaking from the bike, caused the fire that consumed the bus.
The motorcycle rider also died in the crash. He was identified as B Shivshankar, a 24-year-old from Kurnool. The Home Minister mentioned that the police received the call about the incident at 3.21 a.m., and both police and firefighters arrived quickly to begin rescue efforts. The other bus driver managed to force open the rear exit door to assist trapped passengers. The investigation also discovered that two unidentified individuals got on the bus in Aramghar, Hyderabad, and one of them later got off, while the other is feared dead. She announced compensation of Rs 5 lakh to the families of the deceased and Rs 2 lakh to the injured victims, specifically for those from Andhra Pradesh. The police have opened a case and are actively investigating. The bus driver who was driving during the incident is currently being interrogated by law enforcement.
Kurnool Superintendent of Police Vikrant Patil mentioned that the bus driver informed the authorities that the bus struck a motorcycle that was already on the street. The driver thinks that the motorcycle rider had previously been in a crash and the bus went over the motorcycle which was on the road. The Home Minister stated that 16 groups of police and forensic specialists have been formed to investigate the matter thoroughly. Out of these, ten teams consist of forensic professionals who will carry out DNA testing.
