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AgenciesKurnool bus fire accident Investigators probing the bus fire near Kurnool that killed 19 passengers have pieced together a detailed sequence of events leading up to the accident. CCTV footage and witness accounts revealed that the two-wheeler involved in the tragedy had skidded and was lying stationary on the road when the bus ran over it, triggering an explosion and a massive fire.CCTV footage helps trace events before accidentSurveillance camera footage from a nearby petrol pump helped investigators reconstruct the timeline. The footage showed Shiva Shankar, a 21-year-old from Tandrapadu village, and his friend Erri Swamy from Tuggali village, arriving at the petrol station at 2.22 am on Friday in an inebriated state.After refuelling, they left at 2.26 am. About three kilometres away, near Chinna Tekuru, their bike skidded and hit a road divider. Shankar died on the spot, while Swamy was thrown into nearby bushes with minor injuries.Kurnool Superintendent of Police Vikrant Patil said, “After filling petrol, they left the fuel station at 2.26 am. After three km, Shankar lost control and rammed into the road divider. He died on the spot. Swamy was hurled over the two-foot-high railing but suffered minor injuries as he landed in the bushes.”Eyewitness account confirms sequenceSwamy told police he realised his friend had died and moved the body to the road divider. He tried to remove the bike from the middle of the road but could not lift it. He said two other buses managed to avoid the fallen bike before the ill-fated Kaveri Travels bus came.Live EventsYou Might Also Like:"Couldn’t believe what I was seeing": Watch Kurnool bus fire survivor reveal horrific details of tragic accidentSwamy said he fled in panic when the Kaveri Travels bus ran over the bike and caught fire after dragging it for some distance. Police took Swamy to the accident site for a scene reconstruction to verify his statement.Bus driver recounts his versionBus driver Miryala Lakshmaiah, taken into custody on Friday evening, told police he was driving at 80 to 90 kmph when he suddenly saw the bike on the road. He said he could not control the vehicle, ran over the bike, and continued driving without realising it was stuck beneath the bus.“When the friction made the bike’s fuel tank explode, I stopped the bus. It was too late,” he told investigators.Lakshmaiah said he tried to open the entry-exit doors but found them jammed. He then broke the side and rear windows with a rod, helping some passengers escape. As the fire spread rapidly, he panicked and ran away.You Might Also Like:Kurnool bus fire horror: How elbows and electronics came to the miraculous rescue of the passengersOn reports that the driver had used fake documents to obtain a heavy vehicle licence, SP Patil said Lakshmaiah had obtained his driving licence in 2004 and that police were verifying his educational credentials.Smartphone consignment intensified fireInvestigators also found that a large consignment of mobile phones stored in the bus’s luggage compartment made the fire more severe. The Vemuri Kaveri Travels bus was carrying 234 new smartphones worth around ₹46 lakh, belonging to a Hyderabad-based businessman identified as Manganath.The fire, triggered by the bike explosion, spread quickly to the luggage area. The intense heat caused the lithium-ion batteries of the phones to undergo “thermal runaway,” leading to multiple explosions.Survivors reported hearing a series of loud blasts inside the bus, believed to be the phone batteries detonating. Many victims were seated directly above the luggage compartment, where the phones were stored.You Might Also Like:Door jammed: What went wrong on the Hyderabad-Bengaluru bus with 41 passengers that turned into a fireball in secondsAuthorities are now investigating the bus operator for violating transport rules by carrying commercial cargo on a passenger bus. A senior police official said the presence of the mobile consignment likely turned a tragic accident into a catastrophic fire.(Inputs from TOI)Add as a Reliable and Trusted News Source Add Now! (You can now subscribe to our Economic Times WhatsApp channel) Read More News onkurnool bus fire accidentkurnool bus firekurnool bus tragedykurnool newskurnool bus accidentkurnool accident news (Catch all the Business News, Breaking News and Latest News Updates on The Economic Times.) Subscribe to The Economic Times Prime and read the ET ePaper online....moreless (You can now subscribe to our Economic Times WhatsApp channel)Read More News onkurnool bus fire accidentkurnool bus firekurnool bus tragedykurnool newskurnool bus accidentkurnool accident news(Catch all the Business News, Breaking News and Latest News Updates on The Economic Times.) Subscribe to The Economic Times Prime and read the ET ePaper online....moreless Prime ExclusivesInvestment IdeasStock Report PlusePaperWealth Edition123View all Stories
