There was a fatal accident in the wee hours of Friday, October 24, 2025, when a private bus caught fire following a collision with a two-wheeler near Chinna Tekuru village in Andhra Pradesh’s Kurnool district. The accident resulted in the death of at least 20 passengers and severely injured a number of others.
The vehicle was that of Kaveri Travels and was on its way from Hyderabad to Bengaluru when it collided at around 3:00 a.m., say police reports. The motorcycle is said to have been trapped under the bus, causing a burst of fuel and subsequent explosion in a matter of seconds. Most of the passengers were asleep, making it very hard to evacuate them.
Survivors said the scenes were horrific as the flames engulfed the bus. “The doors were stuck, and we had no option but to shatter the windows to get out,” said one of the passengers who escaped with minor burns. Witnesses said that the bus was soon reduced to a smoldering hull before fire services could arrive on the scene.
Emergency squads, comprising firefighters and police, hurried to the location to save travelers and retrieve the dead. The wounded were sent to nearby hospitals in Kurnool immediately for treatment. Authorities indicated that the fatality count might increase since some of the wounded are in critical condition.
Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu was deeply pained by the tragedy and declared ex-gratia assistance to the families of the victims. He has directed a high-level investigation into why the accident occurred and what fire safety protocols were adopted by the transport firm. Prime Minister Narendra Modi also sent his condolences and promised all help from the central government.
Initial probes show that blocked exits, lack of emergency hammers, and potential overloading might have exacerbated the scenario. Road safety analysts have called on the government to ensure stricter oversight of night passenger buses, particularly those plying long routes between big cities.
This traumatic Andhra Pradesh Bus Fire event is a stark reminder of the imperative to implement stronger passenger transport safety regulations. Vehicle checks on a regular basis, emergency response equipment, and increased driver vigilance would be some of the measures that could prevent such disasters in the future.
