Kurnool bus fire: Smartphone consignment might have triggered tragedy

Chinnatekur, Kurnool: As forensic experts began examining the charred wreckage of the private sleeper bus that went up in flames on the Kurnool highway on Friday, killing 19 passengers, chilling new details surfaced on Saturday.

The bus was found to be carrying in its luggage cabin a consignment of around 300 smartphones worth an estimated Rs 46 lakh, being transported to Bengaluru for a leading e-commerce company by Hyderabad-based businessman K Manganath.

Forensic teams with whom DH interacted now believe that exploding lithium-ion batteries in the smartphones may have intensified the blaze, turning it into a deadly inferno. Battery experts noted that lithium-ion batteries contain volatile, flammable electrolytes that can ignite under extreme heat.

Luggage cabin of R Kaveri Travels AC sleeper bus

Probe teams found that the bike involved in the initial crash had got lodged under the bus as it moved forward, dragging along for some distance. Sparks generated during the drag, coupled with leaking petrol, led to ignition. The flames first caught the luggage cabin, where the smartphone shipment was kept.

Due to the rising heat, the batteries might have exploded simultaneously, causing the fire to spread rapidly into the passenger compartment above. Most passengers seated in berths directly above the luggage area had no time to escape. Several bodies were found stuck in the narrow passageways between berths, with rescue teams describing horrifying scenes of remains fused together by the flames.

One body was found halfway through a window, suggesting the victim collapsed from suffocation and heat while attempting to jump out. Forensic officers confirmed that most victims were seated in the bus’ front section, directly above the luggage bay where the fire first erupted.

During the blaze, a woman named Anusha, wife of Golla Ramesh who also perished, appeared to have tried desperately to save her daughter. First responders said both mother and child were found fused together, implying she might have held her daughter tightly as flames surrounded them. By the time she climbed down from the upper berth, fire had already engulfed the cabin.

Experts also believe that several victims died due to inhalation of thick smoke while struggling to find an escape route. Observers noted that had there been a proper emergency exit, many could have survived.

“When a smartphone battery overheats, a process called thermal runaway occurs, triggering a chain reaction of self-sustaining exothermic reactions that can cause explosions and flames reaching 200°C to 1,000°C,” explained a battery expert.

It is common practice among private bus operators to ferry commercial consignments to earn extra income, storing them in luggage cabins meant for passengers’ belongings. They sometimes transport motorcycles but usually empty fuel tanks to prevent fire risk. In many cases, operators earn nearly as much from booking cargo as from passenger fares.

The aluminium base of the gutted R Kaveri bus had completely melted, while the auxiliary air-conditioning battery near the luggage cabin next to the smartphone consignment was also found exploded, underscoring the intensity of the fire.

Private bus overturns on Hyderabad ORR

Even as the Kurnool bus tragedy continued to haunt memories on Saturday, another mishap occurred when a private electric bus overturned on the Outer Ring Road (ORR) near Pedda Amberpet in Hyderabad. Fortunately, about 20 passengers escaped with minor injuries. The bus was travelling from Miyapur to Guntur on Saturday morning.

A video showed the bus flipped on its right side, with rescuers surrounding it along the ORR near Pedda Amberpet municipality in Ranga Reddy district. The guardrails struck by the bus had collapsed due to the force with which the bus had slipped on the right side.

Police, ORR maintenance staff, and local residents immediately launched rescue operations. Preliminary reports indicated that the accident occurred when the driver failed to negotiate a curve properly. The injured were shifted to hospitals near Hayathnagar for treatment.

RTA crackdown after Kurnool tragedy

In the wake of the Kurnool bus tragedy, the Andhra Pradesh Transport Department launched a special enforcement drive on Saturday, booking 289 cases against private travel operators for violating safety norms.

Officials said 18 buses operating illegally were seized, with heavy penalties imposed on those lacking fire safety equipment. Fines amounting to Rs 7.08 lakh were levied across the state. Eluru district reported the highest number of cases, 55, while three buses there were seized.

Seventeen cases were registered in East Godavari district, with four buses seized, Konaseema logged 27 cases, Chittoor, 22, Kurnool, 12, Visakhapatnam, 7 and Nandyal, 4. Officials found eight buses without valid permits and 13 lacking emergency exits.

Additionally, 103 buses were booked for not having fire extinguishers, 34 for failing to maintain passenger lists, and 127 for other violations.