'Bodies charred beyond recognition': 10 things to know about Bangalore-bound bus fire that killed 20

A Bengaluru-bound private bus caught fire on Friday after colliding with a motorcycle. The fire broke out when the bike, which had its fuel cap open, was dragged under the bus, resulting in the death of 20 people, PTI reported. Here are the top ten updates on the Kurnool bus accident: 1. According to police officials, most of the victims were burnt beyond recognition. The deaths included two children and the motorcyclist, while nine others sustained injuries, PTI report said. 2. A police officer stated that a case had been registered against two drivers for alleged negligent and speeding behaviour. The Ulindakonda police in Kurnool district registered the case following a complaint by one of the survivors, N. Ramesh. who said in his complaint that around 40 passengers were traveling in the V Kaveri Travels bus with registered number DD 01 N 9490. The Volvo bus is of a (2 1), Multi Axle Sleeper AC having a seating capacity of 42. It was from Hyderabad and was going to Bengaluru. The complainant boarded the bus on the night of October 23 near the LB Stadium in Hyderabad. What did survivors say? 3. Survivors recounted tense moments before their miraculous escape, albeit with injuries, while the not-so-lucky perished in their sleep. Passengers broke the window glass to escape to safety. The fatal bus was carrying 44 passengers at the time of the accident. Kurnool, Oct 24 (ANI): Police personnel are investigating the site of a burnt bus tragedy after several people lost their lives when a bus burst into flames near Chinna Tekur village in Kurnool on Friday. (ANI Photo) 5. Several passengers were fast asleep and died without even realizing what had happened when the vehicle caught fire around 3 am. The fire completely destroyed the sleeper bus, reducing it to a metal skeleton. There were some technicians on board when the accident happened. One of them was on his way to Bengaluru to attend an interview at a top IT firm. 6. Some of the bodies were charred beyond recognition, prompting officials to call in forensic teams to collect DNA samples from the deceased. “So far 19 bodies have been recovered from the charred bus. The motorcyclist’s body is in the mortuary,” Kurnool Range DIG Koya Praveen told PTI. 7. According to officials, some of the materials used to make beds and curtains were flammable, which could have made the fire worse and spread quickly. As per CM Naidu’s instructions, the government will provide ex gratia of ₹5 lakh to the next of kin of the deceased and ₹2 lakh to those injured. 8. Nine persons are undergoing treatment, including six with fractures, who are admitted to the Kurnool Government General Hospital (GGH), while three are in a private facility, Anitha said. District Collector A Siri said those who escaped the accident are stable and out of danger, PTI reported. Kurnool, Oct 24 (ANI): A forensic team is taking samples from the spot after a bus caught fire following a collision with a two-wheeler near Chinna Tekur village in Kurnool on Friday. (ANI Video Grab) 9. PM Modi expressed grief over the loss of lives during the incident. “Extremely saddened by the loss of lives due to an accident in Kurnool district of Andhra Pradesh,” Modi said in a post on X. “An ex gratia of ₹2 lakh from PMNRF will be given to the next of kin of each deceased. The injured will be given ₹50,000,” the PM said. Meanwhile, it has come to light that the ill-fated luxury bus had several challans issued by the Telangana police for alleged traffic violations, including dangerous driving and unauthorized parking. (With input from agencies)