Police have officially confirmed that the horrifying private bus accident in Chinna Tekur, Kurnool, which tragically claimed the lives of 19 passengers who were burned to death, was caused by a drunk motorist. The Regional Forensic Science Laboratory (RFSL) in Kurnool submitted a report clearly indicating that the motorcycle rider, B. Shiva Shankar, was intoxicated. Superintendent of Police Vikrant Patil stated that viscera samples from the rider showed traces of alcohol.
The incident occurred in the early hours of Friday, October 24, when the private sleeper bus, en route from Hyderabad to Bengaluru, caught fire after colliding with a motorcycle already lying on the road. B. Shiva Shankar, a resident of Kurnool, was driving the motorcycle when it skidded off the road and struck a divider, throwing him from the vehicle and resulting in his immediate death. Tragically, before his friend, Erriswamy, who was riding pillion, could manage to move the bike from the highway, the oncoming bus struck it, leading to a massive blaze.
Investigators spent Saturday, October 25, meticulously reviewing CCTV footage from various locations along the highway, including toll gates and petrol stations. This investigation revealed that Shiva Shankar and his friend had visited an HP petrol station near a Kia Showroom, where they purchased fuel for ₹300. Footage timestamped around 2:24 p.m. showed them entering the station, momentarily leaving the premises, and then returning to fill their tank. While at the station, they initially approached a pump that was unstaffed. Shiva Shankar then proceeded to drive the bike in a reckless manner, nearly losing control but managing to regain balance. Just a few minutes after departing the filling station, Shiva Shankar ultimately fell, an event that directly preceded the fatal collision.