Kurnool Bus Fire LIVE Updates: 25 Dead After Bengaluru-Bound Bus Catches Fire in Andhra Pradesh; PM Modi Announces ₹2 Lakh Ex-Gratia

A shocking road incident in which a fire in a sleeper bus bound for Bangalore killed over 25 people occurred in the Kurnool district of Andhra Pradesh, a southern Indian state. An accident took place at about 3:30 a.m. near Chinnatekur village, where a bus hit a motorcycle, on Friday, October 24, 2025.

Unfortunate Events

According to reports, the fire incident occurred with the V Kaveri Travels bus, which was licensed in Odisha's Rayagada district, during its trip with nearly 40 passengers onboard. Witnesses reported that the fire had its origin at the bus's front and the flames moved so quickly that before long the fuel tank blew up. The majority of the passengers were deep in their sleep when they got engulfed by dense smoke and were in total chaos and partly trapped.

A few passengers got out through emergency exits, albeit injured, while some others were said to have died from burns before anyone could reach them.

Rescue and Relief Operations Underway

As soon as the news of the accident reached Andhra Pradesh's minister for transport Mandipalli Ram Prasad Reddy, he visited the site and ordered the officials to conduct relief and rescue operations in an aggressive manner. Also, he expressed his sorrow at the incident and promised that the best medical treatment would be provided to the victims.

Kurnool and Gadwal districts have set up several control rooms and hotlines to support the worried relatives who are looking for news about their loved ones.

Helpline Numbers:

• Kurnool Collectorate Control Room: 08518-277305
• Government General Hospital: 9121101059
• Accident Site Control Room: 9121101061
• Police Control Room: 9121101075
• Help Desk: 9494609814, 9052951010

PM Modi and State Leaders Convey Condolences

The Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi greatly regretted the loss of lives and, besides, announced an ex-gratia payment of ₹2 lakh each to the victims’ families and ₹50,000 to the injured, all from the Prime Minister's National Relief Fund (PMNRF).

“Extremely saddened by the loss of lives due to the mishap in Kurnool. My thoughts are with the affected families,” the PM Modi tweeted.

Telangana Chief Minister Revanth Reddy convened a meeting with the highest officials and ordered the greatest possible support for resuscitation efforts. Health Minister of Telangana C. Damodar Raja Narasimha, too, felt sorry and wished for the injured to recover quickly.

Government Issues Warnings to Private Operators

Telangana’s Transport Minister Ponnam Prabhakar, after the unfortunate event, warned that the police might charge private bus operators with murder if they found negligence or bad maintenance of the vehicle as the root cause of the accident.

Testimony of a Survivor

27-year-old Jayant Kushwaha was one of the survivors who recounted his traumatic ordeal thus:

“I would not have survived if the emergency window was not accessible. The fire quickly spread — chaotic scene with everyone crying out.”

Investigation Ordered

The police are carrying out an investigation to find out exactly what led to the collision and the subsequent fire. The early disclosures indicate that the bus was set ablaze by a collision with a motorcycle and the flames spread all over the bus in no time.

The Andhra Pradesh government has pledged to take a strict stance against the guilty and has announced compensation for the victims. The bodies of the dead are being identified by the rescue teams and the forensic experts.