Bus erupts into fireball after horror crash with motorbike in India | World | News

At least 25 people died as a result of the collision between a passenger bus and a motorcycle. While passengers could be heard screaming and begging for help, the fire engulfed the bus within a few minutes.

Dozens of passengers were trapped as the fast-spreading fire raced along a highway near Kurnool district in Andhra Pradesh state, senior police official Vikrant Patil said. Patil said that around 03.30 on Friday, a motorcycle hit the private bus from behind and got stuck in the bus. The bike started to spark before igniting the fuel tank of the bus and was dragged along the road for a while.

Some survivors managed to break open windows and jump to safety with minor injuries, but others were horribly burned to death before help could reach them, Patil said.

It is thought that two children were among the dead. “Around 19 passengers, two children and two drivers survived the accident,” Kurnool Range DIG Koya Praveen told PTI.

Eyewitnesses recalled hearing passengers scream for help as locals rushed frantically to rescue survivors. The unidentified cyclist also died in the tragic accident.

The bus, with 44 passengers on board, was traveling between the cities of Hyderabad in Telangana state and Bengaluru in Karnataka state. The accident occurred in Chinnatekuru village near Kurnool, about 210 kilometers (130 miles) south of Hyderabad.

According to reports, forensic teams have been sent to identify the bodies through DNA tests, which may be necessary due to the severity of the burns.

President of India Droupadi Murmu expressed his condolences to the bereaved families.

He said of X: “I offer my sincere condolences to the bereaved family members and pray for a speedy recovery of those injured.”

The fatal bus fire was the second accident in India in less than two weeks. Earlier this month, a fire broke out on a passenger bus in India’s northern state of Rajasthan due to a suspected short circuit, and the vehicle quickly burst into flames, killing at least 20 people.