Kurnool (Andhra Pradesh) - A private bus bound for Bengaluru from Hyderabad caught fire on Friday after it collided with a two-wheeler, killing 20 people. Police said most of the deceased were badly burnt and it was difficult to identify them.
President Draupadi Murmu, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi, Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu and his Telangana Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy expressed grief over the incident. The condition of some of the bodies after the accident was so bad that the authorities called forensic teams to collect DNA samples of the deceased.
An official said that many passengers could not survive the tragedy as the accident occurred at night when they were sleeping. Prime Minister Modi also announced ex-gratia.
According to initial reports, a motorcycle collided with a bus near Kurnool's Chirnathekur and was dragged under it. The motorcycle's fuel cap was open, which led to the fire.
Kurnool Range DIG Koya Praveen said, "So far, 19 bodies have been recovered from the burnt bus. The body of the two-wheeler driver has been kept in the morgue."
Police said that a short circuit caused the bus door to get stuck and the vehicle was completely burnt within minutes. Most of the surviving passengers were between 25 and 35 years of age. District Collector A. Siri said that 41 people, including the driver, were travelling in the bus. Of the 41 passengers, 21 have been identified. He said that the condition of the survivors of the accident is stable and they are out of danger.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced that an ex-gratia of Rs 2 lakh each will be given to the next of kin of the deceased and Rs 50,000 each to the injured from the Prime Minister's Relief Fund.