Hyderabad: In a new twist to the horrific bus fire on National Highway 44 (NH-44) near Andhra Pradesh's Kurnool town that claimed 19 lives in the early hours of Friday, investigations by the police revealed that the bus did not ram into a moving motorcycle, but ran over a bike lying on the highway after a road accident, police officials said.
Kurnool district superintendent of police Vikrant Patil said on Saturday that Panchala Shiva Shankar (20) and his friend Erriswamy, both residents of Lakshmipuram village, set out towards Tuggali after midnight, around 2 AM. On the way, at 2.24 AM, they stopped at a petrol pump and refuelled their Pulsar bike with ₹300 worth of petrol.
"Soon after resuming their journey, on National Highway 44, Shiva Shankar reportedly lost control of the bike, which skidded and hit the road divider. The impact was fatal for Shiva Shankar, who died instantly," he said.
"Shiva Shankar died on the spot, while Erriswamy managed to escape with minor injuries. The survivor tried to move Shiva Shankar's body and drag the bike to the roadside. At that moment, the Bengaluru-bound bus belonging to Vemuri Kaveri Travels arrived at high speed, rammed into the fallen motorbike and dragged it for several metres, triggering a massive fire under the vehicle," the SP said.
Frightened by the explosion and flames, Erriswamy fled the scene and went back to his native village. The police, who tracked the movement of the motorcycle from the closed-circuit television (CCTV) camera footage prior to the incident and also his mobile phone, arrested him on Saturday and questioned him and gathered key evidence.
The Ulavakonda police station registered a case and continued further investigation, confirming that the bike collision was the root cause of the tragedy.
The police interrogation and forensic studies have unearthed several startling facts. CCTV footage from the petrol station confirmed the presence of both Shiva Shankar and Erriswamy.
"Shiva Shankar was under the influence of alcohol, as was evident from his behaviour at the petrol pump," the SP said.
Meanwhile, forensic experts who investigated the cause of the fire that broke out in the bus suspect that the blaze might have intensified due to the explosion of 234 brand-new smartphones stored in the bus's luggage compartment.
These phones of the Realme brand, worth ₹46 lakh, were being shipped from Hyderabad to a Flipkart warehouse in Bengaluru by a trader named Manganath. "These new mobile phones stored in the luggage cabin of the bus might have caught fire and exploded, aggravating the blaze," Andhra Pradesh Fire Services Director General P Venkataramana said.
Quoting eyewitnesses, who confirmed hearing multiple popping sounds during the blaze, Venkataramana said the phone batteries made of Lithium might have burst due to the heat.
"Not only the phone batteries but also the electric batteries attached to the bus's AC system exploded due to intense heat," he said.
The DG added that the bus's aluminium flooring melted completely, revealing bone fragments and ash below. He further explained that the spilled petrol from the motorbike trapped under the bus may have ignited due to frictional sparks or heat from the crash.
Venkataramana also pointed out that the use of lightweight aluminium instead of iron in bus construction increased the vehicle's speed but made it far more vulnerable to fire disasters of this kind.
DNA tests to identify victims
AP forensic lab director G Palaraju, who is heading a special forensic team, said the bodies recovered from the burnt bus were charred beyond recognition, reducing most to ash and unidentifiable remains. "We have collected DNA samples from relatives of the victims to match with the remains," he said.
The DNA analysis reports are expected within two to three days, after which the bodies will be formally handed over to the bereaved families, he added.
Special drive to check buses
Following the tragic bus accident in Kurnool on Friday, the transport department authorities in both Andhra Pradesh and Telangana on Saturday launched a special drive to check violations by private travel operators.
In Andhra Pradesh, the officials registered 289 cases against private travel buses found violating safety and operational regulations. As part of the enforcement, 18 private buses were seized and fines amounting to ₹7.08 lakh were imposed, an official in the state transport department said.
The highest number of violations was reported in the Eluru district, where 55 cases were booked and three buses were seized. In East Godavari, officials filed 17 cases and seized four buses, while Konaseema district reported 27 cases, Chittoor 22, Kurnool 12, Visakhapatnam 7, and Nandyal 4 cases.
In Telangana, too, the transport authorities on Saturday checked a number of private buses and seized a bus for alleged violation of rules.
The checks were carried out on buses entering Hyderabad, and 54 Vehicle Check Reports (VCRs) were generated.
A senior transport department official said a bus involved in multiple violations, including the absence of a fire extinguisher, non-payment of tax, and carrying merchandise goods, was seized in Medchal-Malkajgiri district.