25 Die in Bus-Motorcycle Crash
A tragic incident unfolded in southern India when a passenger bus caught fire following a collision with a motorcycle, resulting in the deaths of at least 25 people and leaving several others injured, according to police reports.
The blaze engulfed the bus within minutes on Friday, trapping many passengers inside, some of whom were asleep, as it traveled along a highway near Kurnool district in Andhra Pradesh state, shared senior police official Vikrant Patil.
Some people managed to break open the windows and jump to safety with just a few minor injuries, while tragically, others were burned alive before help could reach them, Patil reported, citing The Associated Press.
Eighteen passengers were able to escape from the blazing bus and are currently receiving treatment for their injuries. It’s still unclear if there were any others on board who also managed to get out.
According to Patil, a motorcycle crashed into the back of the speeding bus and became lodged there. It was dragged along for a while, creating sparks that ignited the bus’s fuel tank.
“As the smoke started spreading, the driver stopped the bus and tried to put the fire out by using a fire extinguisher, but the fire was so intense he couldn’t control it,” Patil added.
A tragic incident unfolded when a bus was hollowed out, and sadly, the unidentified bike rider also lost their life, according to reports.
A team of forensic experts has been called in to investigate what happened.
The bus, carrying 44 passengers, was en route between Hyderabad in Telangana and Bengaluru in Karnataka.
The accident took place in Chinnatekuru village, located near Kurnool, roughly 210 kilometers (130 miles) south of Hyderabad.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Andhra Pradesh’s top official, N Chandrababu Naidu, expressed their heartfelt condolences to the grieving families.
This devastating bus fire marks the second such tragedy in India within a span of less than two weeks. Earlier this month, a suspected short circuit ignited a fire on a passenger bus in Rajasthan, quickly consuming the vehicle and claiming the lives of at least 20 people.
25 Die in Bus-Motorcycle Crash
