Rayagada: A young software engineer from Odisha was among the 20 passengers who lost their lives in a tragic bus fire in Kurnool district of Andhra Pradesh early Friday morning.

The deceased has been identified as Kengua Deepak Kumar, a resident of Ambadala village under Muniguda block in Rayagada district.

According to reports, Deepak, who was working as a software engineer in Bengaluru, had recently visited his siblings in Hyderabad. On the night of October 23, he boarded a private sleeper coach bus bound for Bengaluru. The bus caught fire near Chinnatekuru village in Kurnool district around 3:30 am on October 24, resulting in one of the most horrific road accidents in recent times.

A pall of gloom has descended on Deepak’s family and native village as news of his death spread. His parents, who lost their only son, were inconsolable. His identity was confirmed through a DNA test, and his family members reached the accident site on Saturday. Authorities said the body would be handed over to them after 48 hours.

How the Tragedy Happened

According to police, the fire broke out after one of the bus drivers hit a motorcycle moving in the same direction. The bike got trapped under the bus, causing sparks that quickly ignited the fuel tank and set the bus ablaze.
“The motorcyclist died on the spot. The bus went up in flames within moments,” said the Kurnool SP, adding that both drivers — Miryala Lakshmaiah and Gudipati Siva Narayana — have been taken into custody for questioning.

Casualties and Rescue

The ill-fated private luxury sleeper bus was carrying 43 passengers at the time of the accident. Most of them were asleep when the explosion occurred, leaving little time for escape.
At least 20 passengers were charred to death, while 21 others, including the two drivers, survived the blaze.

So far, 11 of the 20 deceased have been identified, while efforts are ongoing to confirm the identities of the remaining victims.

PM Announces Ex-Gratia

Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed grief over the tragedy and announced an ex gratia of ₹2 lakh each from the Prime Minister’s National Relief Fund (PMNRF) for the next of kin of each deceased passenger.

The Andhra Pradesh government has also ordered a detailed investigation into the incident to ascertain the exact cause of the fire and possible lapses in safety measures.