19 Burnt Alive, 21 Survive in Hyderabad–Bengaluru Bus Tragedy

1. AP Govt announced ₹5 lakh ex gratia for the families of the deceased and ₹2 lakh for those critically injured
2. Telangana Govt announces Rs 5 lakh ex-gratia for the victims and Rs two lakhs for those injured.
3. Prime Minister’s National Relief Fund (PMNRF), ₹2 lakh for the kin of each deceased and ₹50,000 for those injured
4. Helpline: Officers M Sriramachandra (M 9912919545) and E Chittibabu (M 9440854433) can be contacted for help

A late-night inferno on National Highway 44 turned a routine journey into a nightmare when a Hyderabad–Bengaluru sleeper bus caught fire near Chinna Tekur in Kurnool district, killing 19 passengers and leaving 21 others injured in the early hours of Friday. The AC sleeper coach, operated by Vemuri Kaveri Travels, was reduced to a twisted, blackened shell within minutes, its metal frame still smouldering hours after dawn.

The bus, carrying 43 people, including two children and about ten women, had departed Hyderabad late Thursday night and was expected to reach Bengaluru by early morning. Around 3 a.m., the bus was involved in a collision with a motorcycle on the rain-dampened NH-44 stretch, triggering a catastrophic chain of events.

Preliminary findings from police and forensic teams suggest that the motorcycle struck the bus from behind and became lodged underneath. The friction of the dragging bike, combined with the rupture of its petrol tank, caused fuel to spill and ignite, instantly engulfing the front section of the bus in flames.

“The fire spread rapidly due to the enclosed AC compartment and synthetic interiors. Within minutes, the entire bus turned into a fireball,” said Kurnool District Collector A. Siri, who coordinated rescue efforts on-site.

Many passengers were asleep when the flames spread, leaving them with little time to react. Survivors recalled waking up to the smell of smoke and screams before breaking windows to escape. “I was asleep when I suddenly felt heat and saw flames racing through the aisle,” said Harika, an IT professional from Nellore who suffered minor burns. “A passenger broke the rear door, and we jumped from it. I fell on the road but survived.”

Another survivor, Surya, from Hyderabad, said he was on his way to Bengaluru for a job interview. “The bus filled with smoke in seconds. I jumped from over 15 feet and fractured my legs. I was lucky to be alive,” he said, speaking from his hospital bed.

Fire tenders from Kurnool and Nandyal were rushed to the spot, along with local villagers who helped pull survivors from the burning wreckage using rods and stones. The fire was brought under control after two hours, but by then, much of the bus had been reduced to a charred skeleton.

Nineteen passengers were found dead, many burnt beyond recognition. Forensic teams collected DNA samples from the remains to match them with relatives of missing passengers. Authorities said the identification process could take days.