Third Vehicle May Have Triggered Deadly Andhra Bus Fire, Say Police

Police in Andhra Pradesh are now investigating whether a third, unidentified vehicle played a role in the horrific bus fire that killed 19 people last week.

The tragic incident took place in the early morning hours of October 24 near Chinna Tekuru village in Kurnool district. A sleeper bus traveling from Kurnool to Bengaluru, operated by Kaveri Travels, ran over a motorcycle that had already crashed on the road.

The bike became stuck under the bus and was dragged along the highway. The friction caused the motorcycle’s fuel tank cap to open, leading to a fire that quickly engulfed the entire vehicle. While 44 passengers were on board, many managed to escape, but 19 lost their lives in the blaze.

Now, fresh evidence has raised questions about what really happened that night.

Police discovered that the bus’s skid marks were found several meters ahead of where the motorcycle rider’s body was found. This suggests the bike had already moved some distance after being hit by another vehicle before the bus struck it.

“The position of the skid marks from the bike shows a difference from where the bus hit it. This indicates that another vehicle could have struck the motorcycle first, before the bus ran over it,” Kurnool District Superintendent of Police Vikrant Patil told PTI.

The motorcycle rider died on the spot from the initial impact, according to investigators.

Police have now launched a detailed investigation to track down the possible third vehicle and determine its role in the accident. They are examining CCTV footage from nearby areas and speaking to potential witnesses who may have been on the highway that night.

The case has taken on new urgency as authorities work to piece together the exact sequence of events that led to one of the deadliest road accidents in the region this year.