Kurnool bus fire: Nellore family survives, friends’ family killed in deadly blaze

Hyderabad: A devastating bus fire near Chinnatekuru village in Kurnool district on Friday reportedly claimed the lives of over 19 passengers, including four members of a single family from Gollavaripalli village, Vinjamuru Mandal, Nellore district.

Friends’ families share tragic fate, one survives

Two lifelong friends, both named Ramesh, were travelling with their families in the ill-fated Vemuri Kaveri travels bus. While one family survived by a narrow escape, the other perished in the flames.

Family outing turns deadly

G. Ramesh (39), his wife Anusha (29), and their two children-- Sashikanth (7), and Manvitha (5) were returning to Bengaluru after a short trip to Hyderabad, which included a boating outing at Hussain Sagar.

The family, natives of Udayagiri in Nellore district, boarded the bus late Thursday night, unaware of the tragedy that awaited them.

“They were in seat L7. We first went to the hospital after getting a call, but no one was there. Later, we came to the spot and found the worst,” said Guruaiyah, Ramesh’s brother-in-law. Relatives alleged that the accident was caused by driver negligence.

Friend’s family escapes through window

N. Ramesh (36), a close friend of the deceased, was also travelling with his wife Sri Laxmi (29) and two children-- Jaishwith (5), and Akiranandan (2). When the rear emergency exit jammed, he broke a window to save his family.

“The fire erupted around 2:30–3:00 a.m. Initially, passengers thought it was a tyre burst, but flames soon engulfed the front. Panic spread as people tried to escape,” N. Ramesh recounted.

Passengers said they were unaware that the bus had hit a motorcycle moments earlier. “I woke up only after hearing a loud noise. At one point, I thought we would die, but I gathered strength and managed to break the window,” he added.

Rear of bus becomes fatal trap

Most passengers rushed to the back of the bus, hoping to escape. With the emergency door locked, many were trapped. The majority of the deceased were later recovered from the rear section.

Relatives blamed the driver’s negligence for the collision with a bike on NH 44, which triggered the fire. G. Ramesh, who usually travelled in state-run buses, had opted for a private sleeper bus for his family trip.

Passenger Horror: Flames engulf the bus

Passengers recounted terrifying moments inside the Vemuri Kaveri Travels’ bus, which was travelling from Hyderabad to Bengaluru when it caught fire following a collision with a bike.

Harika, a passenger on the Volvo bus, described waking up to chaos as flames engulfed the vehicle early in the morning. “The back door was broken, so I jumped out from there. In the process, I got hurt,” she said. She escaped with injuries, while the fire consumed the bus, killing 12 passengers on board.

“Since it’s a sleeper bus, we just get on and sleep. We don’t know how many people are there or who is there due to the curtains,” Harika added, highlighting the difficulty many passengers faced in escaping.

Ashwin, a passenger seated behind the driver, recounted the terrifying moments when the fire broke out. “We boarded the bus from Kukatpally to Bengaluru. Between 2:30 and 3:30 a.m., I saw flames near the window and immediately informed the driver,” he said. The bus was halted, and passengers attempted to break the windows to escape. “Around 20 people managed to get out, but sadly, many could not,” Ashwin added.

Eyewitness Accounts: Fire Sparks from Collision

Another survivor, Surya, said the fire likely started around 2:45 am. “A bike came and something happened. We don’t have clarity. The bike went under the bus, and sparks started coming, and then the fire started. Everyone saw it,” he said.

“I wouldn’t have made it if that emergency window hadn’t opened,” said 27-year-old Jayant Kushwaha, one of the survivors. He described a sudden loud noise, rapidly spreading flames, and the desperate scramble to escape by breaking a window.

Another survivor, Akash, echoed the harrowing experience: “I boarded the bus after Diwali. Suddenly, the fire erupted. I broke the bus window and jumped out along with two others. It was sheer luck that we survived.”

Accident triggered by Collision

Officials confirmed the fire broke out after the bus collided with a bike near Chinnatekuru village. Combustible materials inside the AC sleeper coach intensified the blaze, making evacuation difficult.

Several passengers who boarded at Suraram and JNTU stops survived by jumping through emergency exits, while many others remain unaccounted for.

Emergency Response and Relief Efforts

Fire tenders and police rushed to the site to control the blaze and assist survivors. Authorities are tracing all passengers and providing support to the affected families. The tragedy has left local communities and relatives in shock, as officials continue efforts to account for the missing and provide aid.

List of identified passengers

The following passengers were identified among the deceased or injured: M. Satyanarayana (27), Jaya Surya (24), Andoju Naveen Kumar (26), Saraswati Harika (30), Nelakuti Ramesh (36), Srilakshmi, Jaswitha (8), Abhira (1.8), Copper Ashok (27), Musaluri Sri Harsha (25), Punupati Keerthi (28), Venu Gopal Reddy (24), M.G. Rama Reddy, Ghantasala Subrahmanyam, Ashwin Reddy, Akash, Jayanth Kushwaha, Pankaj Prajapati, Guna Sai, Shiva, and Gloria Elsa Sam.