Police personnel and others gather near a Bengaluru-bound private bus that caught fire after colliding with a two-wheeler, with the blaze being triggered after the motor bike with its fuel cap open was dragged underneath the bus, in Kurnool district, Andhra Pradesh.
Credit: PTI Photo
Kurnool: With the handing over of the 19th body, Kurnool district authorities on Monday completed the process of returning all mortal remains of those who perished in last Friday’s devastating fire on a luxury AC sleeper bus in Andhra Pradesh.
As the victims were burnt beyond recognition, the government went for DNA testing to establish identities, deploying 16 teams of medical and forensic experts for the analysis. The final body, identified as N Prashanth, 29 from Tamil Nadu, was handed over to his family and cremated in the presence of local officials on Monday.
Police also confirmed the identity of a passenger who boarded the bus at Aramghar in Hyderabad without a prior reservation. DNA results matched him with Trimurthy, 59, a resident of Kuppam in Chittoor district. Trimurthy had travelled to Hyderabad to attend a friend’s son’s wedding and boarded the V Kaveri Travels bus for his return journey. Before leaving, he had called his daughter to inform her that he would arrive home the next morning. When he did not return and his phone remained unreachable, police traced CCTV footage confirming he had boarded the ill-fated bus. Following DNA confirmation with family samples, his body was handed over to relatives.
Heart-rending scenes unfolded at the Kurnool Government General Hospital on Sunday and Monday as families received the bodies of their loved ones. Relatives wept inconsolably, mourning that they had been denied a final glimpse. By Sunday night, 18 bodies had been identified and handed over. Based on DNA reports, officials labeled the body packets with corresponding identification numbers to ensure correct matching.
The remains, preserved in freezer boxes, were sent to respective hometowns in Andhra Pradesh and Telangana through ambulances, Mahaprasthanam vehicles, and special mortuary vans. During post-mortem examinations, biological samples were scientifically collected and assigned unique codes, which were later linked to victims’ names once DNA results arrived. Families left the premises shattered, overcome with grief.