🔥 Kurnool Bus Inferno: 25 Charred to Death as Sleeper Coach Bursts Into Flames on Hyderabad–Bengaluru Highway
Kurnool, Andhra Pradesh | October 24, 2025:
A devastating fire engulfed a private sleeper bus on National Highway 44 near Chinnatekur village in Kurnool district early Friday, killing at least 25 passengers in one of Andhra Pradesh’s worst road tragedies in recent years. The Bengaluru-bound Kaveri Travels bus, carrying 41 passengers including two children and two drivers, collided with a motorcycle around 3 a.m., sparking an explosion that quickly turned the vehicle into a burning inferno amid heavy rain.
Horrific Scene Unfolds in Minutes
According to eyewitnesses, the motorcycle became trapped under the front section of the bus, rupturing its fuel tank and igniting a massive blaze. “The fire spread like wildfire due to the presence of synthetic materials inside the sleeper coach,” said Kurnool District Collector A. Siri, who supervised rescue and recovery operations. Forensic teams later combed through the blackened shell of the bus to retrieve remains and personal belongings.
Preliminary reports indicate that a fuel leak from the motorcycle acted as the trigger, causing flames to engulf the undercarriage. Within minutes, the fire consumed the luxury coach, leaving passengers trapped in their berths as toxic fumes filled the cabin.
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Passengers Trapped in Sleep
Of the 41 people on board—mostly residents of Hyderabad bound for work in Bengaluru—12 passengers managed to escape, breaking through emergency exits and windows with the help of villagers who rushed to the scene despite the downpour. “The fire was so intense that many passengers didn’t even wake up in time,” said Kallur Mandal Superintendent of Police Vikrant Patil.
Nine individuals remain unaccounted for, with authorities relying on DNA sampling to identify the severely charred bodies. The bus was registered in Odisha’s Rayagada district in 2018 and reportedly had valid permits until 2030, a fitness certificate until 2027, and insurance up to 2026.
Rescue and Medical Aid
Ambulances from Kurnool and nearby areas rushed to the spot as locals and fire personnel battled the flames for over an hour. The Kurnool Government General Hospital received 9 survivors—six of whom have since been discharged. One passenger remains in critical condition due to injuries sustained while leaping from the moving bus to escape the fire.
Health Minister Satya Kumar Yadav directed officials to conduct on-site post-mortems where possible and ensure forensic identification for all victims. Mobile medical teams and counsellors have been stationed at the hospital to assist grieving families.
Shock and Grief Among Families
Tense scenes unfolded at the Kurnool hospital and at the city’s helpline centers as distraught relatives from Hyderabad’s Kukatpally, SR Nagar, and Erragadda arrived to identify loved ones. Authorities set up emergency helplines:
- Kurnool Collectorate: 08518-277305
- Hospital Control Room: 9121101059
- Police Desk: 9121101075
- Jogulamba Gadwal District Helpline: 9502271122
Governments Respond Swiftly
Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu termed the accident “heartbreaking” and ordered a high-level inquiry into safety lapses by the transport company. He also announced ₹1 lakh ex-gratia to the families of each deceased passenger and directed hospitals to provide the best possible care to the injured.
“We must make fire safety checks mandatory for all interstate private buses. This tragedy should not repeat,” Naidu stated.
Telangana Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy also convened an emergency review with the Chief Secretary and DGP, dispatching JENCO CMD Harish to Kurnool for coordination. Both states are working jointly to identify victims and assist affected families.
At the national level, Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed deep sorrow, approving ₹2 lakh compensation from the PM National Relief Fund for families of the deceased and ₹50,000 for the injured. President Droupadi Murmu described the tragedy as “deeply unfortunate,” while Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah extended condolences, noting that several commuters from his state also use the same route daily.
Leaders across party lines, including YSRCP chief Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy and Deputy CM Pawan Kalyan, offered condolences and urged inter-state coordination to improve transport safety norms.
Negligence Under the Lens
The tragedy has reignited debate over lax fire safety standards in long-distance private buses. Officials noted that the Kaveri Travels vehicle did not have an onboard fire suppression system, and emergency exits were reportedly jammed due to structural modifications made to add extra berths.
Transport Minister Ponnam Prabhakar vowed immediate action: “We will call an inter-state summit of transport secretaries from Andhra, Telangana, and Karnataka to standardize fire safety mechanisms, enforce speed limits, and ensure daily fitness inspections.”
This Kurnool accident bears chilling resemblance to a bus inferno in Rajasthan that killed 22 passengers just ten days earlier, raising concerns about nationwide enforcement of safety norms for sleeper coaches.
A Highway of Tears
By morning, four fire tenders had extinguished the last of the flames. The rain-soaked highway was littered with burnt luggage, melted seat frames, and the acrid smell of diesel and despair. Traffic resumed hours later, but the stretch near Chinnatekur village has now become a symbol of grief — a grim reminder that on India’s roads, safety remains perilously fragile.
