In one of Andhra Pradesh’s deadliest road accidents in recent years, a Hyderabad-Bengaluru-bound private sleeper bus turned into a moving ball of fire at Chinna Tekuru village in Kalluru mandal of Kurnool district on Friday morning (October 24, 2025), killing at least 19 people and injuring several others, four of them critically. 27 people escaped from hell. There were 40 adults, four children and two drivers on the bus when the accident happened, making it 46 including the two drivers. Among the dead were five women and two children.
Police confirmed the horrific road tragedy occurred at around 3am when a high-speed bus ran over a motorbike which fell on the highway in a previously reported “hit and run incident”. The two-wheeler, probably with a full tank of fuel, remained trapped under the bus and dragged along the tarmac for almost 300 meters. Police said gasoline leaking from the motorcycle’s tank and possibly the bus’ fuel tank, combined with friction sparks from the road, ignited the inferno that quickly gutted the bus.
Kurnool bus fire live updates
As the fire spread, panicked passengers screamed for help and their terror intensified as the main hydraulic doors jammed and would not open. Many passengers were forced to break windows and exit the single emergency exit, while half of the passengers were trapped and burned.
44 people were traveling in the bus, including 40 adult passengers with four children. Police confirmed that 27 people, including two drivers and 25 passengers, managed to escape, while 19 charred bodies were recovered from the gutted bus. The injured survivors were taken to the Government General Hospital in Kurnool. Police said seven passengers were treated as outpatients, four were receiving treatment and the remaining suffered superficial injuries.
Deputy Inspector General (DIG-Kurnool) Koya Praveen, who was conducting the accident scene, said that one of the drivers who was behind the wheel at the time of the accident fled the spot immediately after the incident. The emergency driver was detained for questioning. “We are investigating whether the bus did not exceed the speed limit and whether the collision occurred due to the reckless driving of the driver,” he said.
The DIG said preliminary investigations indicated that friction caused by the wedged motorcycle under the bus generated sparks that ignited the leaking petrol and eventually the diesel tank of the bus. The intensity of the fire was such that even the metal frame partially melted. He learned that police suspect that the inner part of the bus body was made of flammable material, which precipitated the impact.
The police further found that the ill-fated bus was registered in Daman and Diu and had a permit from Odisha state. The bus management allegedly exceeded the norms by converting the seating arrangement into a sleeper bus.
A woman traveling on the same route towards Hyderabad from Puttaparthi said she spotted the burning bus from a distance. She said she immediately alerted Kurnool SP Vikrant Patil, who rushed police and fire tenders to the spot. Although it was raining heavily at the time and rescue teams and ambulances arrived within minutes, the raging fire due to the exploded fuel tanks made it impossible to rescue the trapped passengers.
In a tragic incident, over 25 passengers were reportedly burnt to death and several others injured when a luxury private tour bus was traveling from #Hyderabad on #Bengaluru caught fire early on Friday near Chinnatekuru village in Kurnool district.
📹 Special arrangement pic.twitter.com/ncS4CbcQ6N
— The Hindu (@the_hindu) October 24, 2025
By dawn, the scene of the accident was a scene of devastation, with burnt bodies trapped inside the gutted bus and metal frames twisted and covered in ash. Family members and relatives of the victims from Hyderabad and Bengaluru started rushing to the spot as news of the accident spread. Kurnool Collector Dr. A. Siri said a control room has been set up to assist the family members of the victims. Forensic experts have begun collecting DNA samples from the remains for identification. Police said autopsies on the 19 bodies had been completed by Friday afternoon and DNA tests would be expedited so the bodies could be released to family members as soon as possible.
Treated passengers and minor injuries told officers of their horror and told how they escaped the inferno by jumping through the only escape door and breaking the window panes as the hydraulic doors were not working at the time.
The Telangana CM expressed deep shock over the accident.
Telangana Chief Minister Revanth Reddy expressed his heartfelt condolences to the families of the deceased. He directed state officials to coordinate with the Andhra Pradesh authorities and take necessary relief measures.
He further discussed the accident with Chief Secretary K. Ramkrishna Rao and Director General of Police (DGP) B. Shivadhar Reddy and suggested setting up a helpline immediately. Instructions were given to District Collector Gadwal and Superintendent of Police (SP) to visit the accident site.
CM Naidu expresses shock over Kurnool bus fire
Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu expressed shock and heartfelt condolences to the families of those who were burnt in a private bus in Kurnool district.
A Hyderabad-Bengaluru bus reportedly caught fire when it was hit by a motorcycle near Chinna Tekuru in Kurnool and around 19 people were reportedly burnt to death. Several others injured in the accident were admitted to a local hospital in Kurnool.
In a message to X, Mr Naidu, who is currently on a tour of the UAE, said the accident was devastating and that the government would provide all possible support to the injured and affected families.
The CM instructed senior officials to visit the accident site and take necessary steps to help the accident victims. He also ordered that every effort be made to save the lives of the badly burned.
Published – 24 Oct 2025 06:37 IST
