Kurnool bus fire involved a third vehilce?

The Andhra Pradesh Police are investigating whether a third vehicle might have been involved in the tragic bus fire accident near Chinna Tekuru village in Kurnool district that claimed 19 lives on October 24. Preliminary findings from the scene have raised doubts about the initial sequence of events.

According to police, the Bengaluru-bound sleeper bus operated by Kaveri Travels caught fire after running over a motorbike that had already been involved in an accident. The bike got caught under the bus and was dragged for some distance, causing its fuel tank to burst and triggering the blaze.

There were 44 passengers on board at the time, many of whom managed to escape through emergency exits, but 19 passengers lost their lives, most of them trapped inside the burning vehicle.

Driver’s version of events

The bus driver and cleaner, who survived, told investigators that they could not see the two-wheeler lying on the road in the darkness. The driver said he felt a jolt and resistance as the bus moved over an object, and within moments, flames erupted from beneath the vehicle.

He said visibility was poor at the time of the accident and maintained that the motorbike was already lying on the highway after an earlier crash. The driver and cleaner stopped the bus and helped several passengers escape before the fire spread rapidly through the vehicle.

Forensic evidence and police findings

However, forensic analysis of the skid marks and road evidence has led police to suspect that another vehicle might have hit the motorbike before the bus arrived.

“Kaveri Travels bus skid marks were found slightly ahead of the point where the bike had initially fallen,” said Kurnool Superintendent of Police Vikrant Patil. “This difference in position suggests that the motorbike could have moved further after the first impact, possibly due to being struck by another vehicle.”

Investigators are now examining CCTV footage, forensic data, and eyewitness accounts to reconstruct the sequence of events. They are also analysing the damage patterns on the two-wheeler to see whether the marks correspond to a single impact or multiple collisions.

Ongoing investigation

Police sources said the presence of a third vehicle remains a theory under investigation, and no confirmation has been made yet. Forensic teams are reviewing highway surveillance footage and checking for vehicles that passed through the area around 1:30 a.m. on October 24, when the incident occurred.

Meanwhile, the bus and bike have been sent for mechanical and forensic examination to identify the precise cause of the fire and sequence of impacts.