Bus fire near Kurnool kills 20 dead, AP Govt orders inquiry

In major business fire near Kurnool an estimated 20 passengers were charred to death following a collision with a bike while travelling between Hyderabad to Bengaluru on Friday.

The luxury bus caught fire sending shock waves when it hit a bike. The State Government announced an ex gratia of Rs 5 lakh to the families of the dead and ordered an inquiry into the incident.

As the passengers were burnt beyond recognition, officials have started collecting DNA samples. A team from Karnataka also rushed to the accident spot, about 20 km from Kurnool.

Meanwhile, Andhra Pradesh

Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu, currently in Dubai, expressed deep concern over travel bus mishap near Kurnool in the early hours and directed the Ministers and officials to rush immediately to the spot and take up relief measures.

It may be noted that a private travels bus proceeding from Hyderabad to Bangalore met with an accident and caught fire near Chinnatekuru village of Kallur mandal in Kurnool district resulting in death of several persons and injuries to others. The injured were rushed to Kurnool general hospital.

The Chief Minister immediately after receiving information, conducted a teleconference with Ministers and officials and asked them to rush immediately to accident spot. He talked to Ministers, Chief Secretary, DGP and Kurnool district collector and asked them take immediate measures to identify the bodies and to hand over them to their relatives. He ordered an inquiry on the incident.

Responding to Chief Minister’s directions, Minister for Transport M. Ramprasad Reddy, Minister for Home Vangalapudi Anita and Director General of Police Harish Kumar Gupta rushed to the spot.

The Minister for Transport directed the transport officials to check the fitness and permits of private travels buses giving priority to safety of people.

YSRCP president and former Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy expressed deep condolences to the bereaved family and demanded an independent probs to fix responsibility for the bus fire.

Speaking on the occasion Minister for Home Vangalapudi Anita expressing serious concern over the mishap assured Government’s help for the families of victims. The minister announced exgratia of Rs 5 lakh to the families of deceased and Rs 2 lakh to those injured in the mishap.

Meanwhile Ministers including K Atchannaidu, BC Janardhana Reddy, Satyakumar NMD Farooq, TG Bharath and Anagani Satyaprasad and other ministers expressed serious concern over the incident and condoled the death of passengers.

Meanwhile the Kurnool district administration set up control rooms in collectorate with Phone Numbers 08518-277305, 9121101059,9121101061 and 9121101075, hospital help desk numbers 9494609814.