Key points
- Motorcycle sparks fire
- Forensic team investigates deadly Kurnool accident
- Second deadly bus fire in two weeks
ISLAMABAD: A passenger bus caught fire following a collision with a motorcycle, killing at least 25 people and injuring several others in southern India, according to police.
The blaze broke out on Friday within minutes of the crash, trapping dozens of passengers onboard, many of whom were asleep, as the bus travelled along a highway near Kurnool district in Andhra Pradesh state, said senior police officer Vikrant Patil, reports India Today.
Eighteen passengers managed to escape the burning bus and are receiving treatment for injuries. It remains unclear if any other passengers were able to flee the scene.
The motorcycle crashed into the rear of the speeding bus and became wedged under it, Patil explained. The bike was dragged for a distance, creating sparks that ignited the bus’s fuel tank.
“As the smoke started to spread, the driver stopped the bus and attempted to extinguish the fire using a fire extinguisher, but the flames were too intense to control,” Patil added.
The motorcyclist
The bus was completely gutted, and the motorcyclist, whose identity is unknown, also perished in the incident.
A team of forensic experts is investigating.
The bus, which had 44 passengers aboard, was en route from Hyderabad in Telangana to Bengaluru in Karnataka.
The accident took place in Chinnatekuru village, near Kurnool, approximately 210 kilometres (130 miles) south of Hyderabad.
This tragic bus fire marks the second such incident in India within less than two weeks. Earlier this month, a suspected electrical short circuit caused a fire on a passenger bus in Rajasthan, killing at least 20 people.
