Bhubaneswar: A private bus registered in Odisha’s Rayagada district was involved in the tragic road accident near Kurnool in Andhra Pradesh on Friday morning, leaving at least eleven people dead after the vehicle caught fire.

According to Telangana Transport Department officials, the bus, operated by Vemuri Kaveri Travels and bearing registration number DD 01 N 9490, was registered in Rayagada, Odisha. Records show that the vehicle had several pending traffic challans amounting to ₹23,120 for violations such as overspeeding, wrong-side driving, and obstruction of the carriageway.

The accident occurred around 3:30 am near Ullindakonda on National Highway 44, when the bus travelling from Bengaluru to Hyderabad with 41 passengers on board collided with a motorcycle. The impact caused the two-wheeler to get trapped under the bus, triggering a fire that engulfed the bus within minutes.

Eyewitnesses and survivors said the two-wheeler was dragged for nearly 300 meters before the bus went up in flames. Many passengers, most of whom were asleep at the time, found themselves trapped inside as the fire spread rapidly.

At least nineteen passengers managed to escape by breaking the windows. Firefighters and police reached the spot soon after receiving information, but by then, the bus had been completely gutted. The injured were shifted to nearby hospitals.

Cause of fire

Deputy Inspector General of Police Koya Praveen confirmed that the fire originated from the motorbike. “The bus fuel tank is intact. The fire started from the bike’s fuel tank, and the material under the bus being highly combustible made the flames spread quickly,” he said.

Police said that of the two drivers assigned to the bus, one has been detained, while the other is absconding. Further investigation is underway to determine the exact cause of the mishap and to verify whether the bus had all necessary operational permits.

Also read: Deeply unfortunate: President Murmu, VP Radhakrishnan express grief over loss of 11 lives in Andhra Pradesh bus fire.