At least 15 feared dead in horrific bus fire mishap on Kurnool highway

Hyderabad: In a tragic incident at least 15 persons are feared dead when a moving bus caught fire on the Kurnool highway in the early hours of Friday. According to preliminary reports, at least 20 people are feared dead, and over 30 passengers were on board at the time of the incident. The bus was completely gutted in flames, resulting in a heavy loss of life.

The mishap occurred near Chinnatekur village in Kallur mandal, close to Ullindakonda Cross, about 20 kilometres from Kurnool town. The fire reportedly broke out around 3:30 a.m. in the front portion of the Bengaluru–Hyderabad bound Kaveri Travels bus and quickly spread throughout the vehicle. As the blaze intensified, 12 passengers managed to break open the emergency exit and escape with minor injuries. The injured were rushed to Kurnool Government Hospital for treatment.

Local police and fire department officials swiftly reached the spot and launched rescue and recovery operations. Witnesses said some locals and passersby tried to douse the flames before fire tenders arrived, but the bus was already engulfed when rescuers reached the scene.

Authorities are currently investigating the cause of the fire and working to confirm the exact number of casualties. The incident occurred amid heavy rainfall in the area, further complicating rescue efforts.