Two-wheeler accident preceded Kurnool bus tragedy, Police say

The Kurnool district police on Saturday clarified that the fatal bus accident early Friday, which killed 19 passengers, was preceded by a separate two-wheeler accident in which the rider died on the spot.

According to Kurnool Superintendent of Police Vikrant Patil, Siva Shankar, riding a two-wheeler with pillion rider Erri Swamy, lost control of the vehicle near Chinna Tekuru village. The bike skidded on wet and muddy roads caused by heavy rainfall, causing Shankar to hit a road divider. He died instantly, while Swamy sustained minor injuries.

Police said that shortly after the two-wheeler accident, a sleeper bus ran over the vehicle, dragging it for some distance. The bus later caught fire, resulting in the deaths of 19 passengers.

Shankar and Swamy had left Lakshmipuram village around 2 am on Friday, heading to Tuggali village. On the way, they stopped at an HP petrol bunk near the Kia car showroom to refuel, spending Rs 300. A video of this stop later circulated on social media.

“Swamy tried to move the two-wheeler and check on Shankar, but realized he had died. While he was attempting to clear the bike, the bus ran over it,” Patil said in a press release.

Police confirmed that there were two separate accidents in quick succession, and further investigation into the incident is ongoing.

The sequence of events has been reconstructed from witness accounts, video evidence, and police inquiry. Authorities continue to probe the circumstances leading to the bus fire and the resulting fatalities.