A horrific accident on a highway in Southern India turned a passenger bus into a blazing inferno, claiming the lives of 20 individuals, authorities reported on Friday. The catastrophe unfolded when a motorcycle collided with the bus, becoming lodged underneath and sparking a fire that rapidly engulfed the vehicle’s fuel tank.
“Ninety percent of the bus has been charred and only the back side tires are left,” stated Krishna Goud, an official from the neighboring Telangana State, who witnessed the devastating scene.
The tragic event occurred in the early hours of Friday morning. Most of the 44 passengers were sleeping when the accident happened. However, some were jolted awake by the encroaching smoke and flames, desperately managing to break windows and throw themselves to safety onto the pavement, as recounted by Mr. Goud.
One survivor shared a harrowing account, explaining that he and others valiantly attempted to rouse those still trapped inside. Despite the bus’s main door being locked, they successfully shattered an emergency window to escape.
According to Mr. Goud, the victims included 17 adults and 2 children from the bus, along with the motorcycle rider. The bus driver and his assistant were among the 27 fortunate individuals who survived the blaze.
The bus was operating a route between the major southern Indian cities of Hyderabad and Bengaluru. The accident site was identified as a village near Kurnool, approximately 130 miles south of Hyderabad.
This incident marks at least the second significant bus fire in India within a fortnight. Just two weeks prior, on October 14, a separate bus fire, attributed to a short circuit in the air-conditioner’s wiring, resulted in 26 fatalities.