Kurnool Bus Horror: A devastating fire engulfed a private bus headed to Bengaluru in Andhra Pradesh’s Kurnool district early Friday, claiming at least 20 lives and shaking the nation. The grim details are trickling in, painting a picture of chaos and possible negligence that turned a routine journey into a deadly disaster.
Forensic experts suspect a chilling factor: 234 smartphones on board may have worsened the blaze. They believe exploding batteries, combined with leaking fuel, created a ferocious fire that spread in seconds. The bus’s doors jammed shut due to a short circuit, trapping passengers inside. Some quick-thinking travelers smashed windows to escape, with 20 managing to get out alive, but for many, it was too late.
Police are cracking down, filing charges against the bus’s two drivers for reckless driving and speeding. One driver, Lakshmaiah, fled the scene, while the other, Shiv Narayan, is in custody and facing heat for giving inconsistent statements. The case kicked off after survivor N. Ramesh lodged a complaint, demanding answers.
Investigators are zeroing in on what role the massive stash of phones played in the fire’s intensity and whether the drivers’ carelessness or excessive speed sealed the tragic fate. Experts warn that the mix of phone batteries and petrol created a deadly fireball, and without swift rescues, the death toll could’ve been even higher.
This catastrophe has left Kurnool, and the country, in mourning, raising urgent questions about bus safety and the risks of carrying large numbers of electronic devices. As the probe continues, families await closure, and authorities face pressure to ensure such a nightmare never happens again.
