Luxury Sleeper Volvo Bus Fire Claims 20 Lives in Kurnool

KARNOOL ( Andhra Pradesh ) – In a horrifying predawn tragedy that has left southern India shaken, at least 20 passengers were killed and a dozen others injured when a luxury sleeper bus caught fire after colliding with a motorcycle on National Highway 44 near Chinnatekur village in Kurnool district early Friday.

The Kaveri Travels bus, registered in Odisha’s Rayagada district, was en route from Hyderabad to Bengaluru carrying around 42–44 passengers, most of whom were asleep in their berths when disaster struck around 3:30 a.m.

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According to eyewitnesses, the bus — traveling at high speed — struck a motorcycle head-on, dragging it for several meters. The impact ruptured the bike’s fuel tank, and sparks from metal friction likely ignited the spilled petrol, engulfing the bus’s front section in flames.

Survivors described a scene of chaos as flames spread rapidly, fueled by the bus’s sealed AC design and flammable interior materials. A short circuit reportedly jammed the main doors, while emergency windows failed to open, trapping passengers inside.

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“We realized what happened only after the fire spread,” recalled survivor Shiva, speaking from Kurnool Government General Hospital. “The emergency windows weren’t working. We broke the glass with our hands to escape. There were children inside — it was suffocating.”

Among the deceased were four members of a family from Nellore district — Golla Ramesh (35), his wife Anusha (30), and their children Shashank (12) and Manyata (10). The motorcyclist also perished in the fire, bringing the death toll to at least 21, though identification efforts continue as forensic teams recover charred remains.

Twelve survivors, including the bus drivers, sustained severe burns and fractures. Some have been airlifted to Hyderabad for advanced treatment.

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Rescue workers, police, and villagers fought the flames for over an hour, hampered by overnight rain and slippery roads. “We could save about 19 people, but the rest were beyond recognition,” said Nandyal MP Byreddy Shabari, who reached the site to coordinate relief efforts.

Kurnool SP G. Vikrant Patil noted that the bus’s “sealed AC system” likely accelerated the inferno. Police have detained both drivers for questioning after reports that they initially fled the scene.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed deep sorrow, announcing ₹2 lakh ex-gratia for families of the deceased and ₹50,000 for the injured. “The tragedy in Kurnool is heart-rending,” Modi wrote on X (formerly Twitter), calling for stricter road safety measures.

President Droupadi Murmu termed the incident a “stark reminder” of night travel risks, while Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu, cutting short an overseas trip, ordered a high-level inquiry and immediate relief for victims.

Neighboring Telangana CM A. Revanth Reddy set up helplines for families of passengers boarding from Hyderabad, and Odisha’s Transport Department pledged cooperation for operator audits.

The accident reignites debate over road safety standards on NH-44, one of India’s busiest highways. In 2024 alone, over 1.5 lakh fatalities were reported nationwide due to road mishaps. Experts are urging mandatory fire-retardant interiors and real-time tracking for sleeper buses.

As dawn broke over the charred remains of the vehicle, grieving families gathered near Kurnool’s hospitals, clutching photographs and waiting for news. For many, the homecoming journey for Diwali has turned into a lifetime of loss.

“We were just going home for the festival,” said a relative of the Golla family, her voice trembling. “They never made it.”

The NH-44 inferno stands as another grim reminder of India’s fragile transport safety net — and the human cost of its failures.