This is a Diwali that many families want to forget. For many passengers killed in the deadly fire in the ill-fated bus on the Bengaluru-Hyderabad Highway on Friday, death came without a warning. What was supposed to be the end of a joyful, happy festive weekend turned into a horrific nightmare for passengers travelling on that private bus.
The tragic incident occurred when several passengers were fast asleep and died even without realising when the Bengaluru-bound bus caught fire at around 3 pm after an accident involving a two-wheeler, leaving 20 people dead on the spot. Within seconds, the vehicle was engulfed in thick flames and smoke, shaking the passengers.
The accident was so severe that many victims were charred beyond recognition and the blaze completely gutted the entire bus, reducing it to a mere skeleton. Chaos erupted as terrified crowds desperately tried to escape, smashing windows with laptops, mobile phones, and even their own elbows and knees to flee the scene, reports TOI's Yashaswini Sri.
ALSO READ: Door jammed: What went wrong on the Hyderabad-Bengaluru bus with 41 passengers that turned into a fireball in seconds
36-year-old Nelakurthi Ramesh was travelling back to Bengaluru after spending Diwali with his relatives. He was with this wife and their two children.
"When I woke up, all I could see was flames - bright yellow and orange. I could barely breathe. My first thought was my wife and children; I knew I had to get them out safely. With my bare fists, I smashed the rear window and pushed my family out of the burning bus. Others followed us, and we ran as far as we could. The next thing I remember was waking up in the hospital," he was quoted as saying by TOI.
ALSO READ: Andhra Bus Accident: Horrific early-morning accident on Hyderabad-Bengaluru highway; at least 20 burnt to death
Another resident Ghantasala Subramanyam woke up after fellow passenger's urgent shake. "Amid the sizzling sound and sight of leaping flames, it took me a moment to process what was happening," Subramanyam said. "I grabbed my bag and tried to exit through the main door, only to find it jammed as the fire spread rapidly. I saw someone smashing a window using a laptop, and without hesitation, I jumped out along with 10 others," he said, recounting the horror.
Amid the chaos, acts of unexpected kindness shone through. One stranger, driving the same route, offered to rush Ghantasala Subramanyam and three others to the nearest hospital, leaving a lasting impression on those affected.
Survivors of a recent fire shared harrowing accounts of their desperate attempts to escape the flames. Jayanth Kushwal, 27, from Vidyanagar, described the terrifying chaos: “All I remember is people frantically trying to escape. Some smashed the rear windows, others broke the ones by their seats. There were glass shards all around. It was terrifying.”
Naveen Kumar, 26, from Hayathnagar, recounted his instinctive fight for survival: “There wasn't a second to think, everything happened instinctively. When I saw someone break the emergency door at the rear, I rushed towards it. In the chaos, I fractured my left leg. Around me, people were trapped, struggling to escape. I couldn't help them, and that haunts me. But, in those moments, there was nothing anyone could do.
ALSO READ: "Couldn’t believe what I was seeing": Watch Kurnool bus fire survivor reveal horrific details of tragic accident
PM Modi expressed grief over the loss of lives in the incident. "Extremely saddened by the loss of lives due to a mishap in Kurnool district of Andhra Pradesh," Modi said in a post on 'X'. "An ex-gratia of Rs 2 lakh from PMNRF would be given to the next of kin of each deceased. The injured would be given Rs 50,000," the PM said.
As per Andhra Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu's instructions, the government will provide ex-gratia of Rs 5 lakh to the kin of the deceased and Rs 2 lakh to those who were injured. The Telangana government set up a helpline to assist the kin of passengers.
(With TOI inputs)
The tragic incident occurred when several passengers were fast asleep and died even without realising when the Bengaluru-bound bus caught fire at around 3 pm after an accident involving a two-wheeler, leaving 20 people dead on the spot. Within seconds, the vehicle was engulfed in thick flames and smoke, shaking the passengers.
The accident was so severe that many victims were charred beyond recognition and the blaze completely gutted the entire bus, reducing it to a mere skeleton. Chaos erupted as terrified crowds desperately tried to escape, smashing windows with laptops, mobile phones, and even their own elbows and knees to flee the scene, reports TOI's Yashaswini Sri.
ALSO READ: Door jammed: What went wrong on the Hyderabad-Bengaluru bus with 41 passengers that turned into a fireball in seconds
Andhra fire: How bus passengers saved their lives
Amid panic and chaos, acts of bravery and desperation unfolded as passengers fought for their lives, leaving lasting impressions of the near-fatal ordeal. Survivors recounted tense moments ahead of their miraculous escape, albeit with injuries, while the not so lucky ones perished in their sleep. Passengers broke window glass to escape to safety.36-year-old Nelakurthi Ramesh was travelling back to Bengaluru after spending Diwali with his relatives. He was with this wife and their two children.
"When I woke up, all I could see was flames - bright yellow and orange. I could barely breathe. My first thought was my wife and children; I knew I had to get them out safely. With my bare fists, I smashed the rear window and pushed my family out of the burning bus. Others followed us, and we ran as far as we could. The next thing I remember was waking up in the hospital," he was quoted as saying by TOI.
ALSO READ: Andhra Bus Accident: Horrific early-morning accident on Hyderabad-Bengaluru highway; at least 20 burnt to death
Another resident Ghantasala Subramanyam woke up after fellow passenger's urgent shake. "Amid the sizzling sound and sight of leaping flames, it took me a moment to process what was happening," Subramanyam said. "I grabbed my bag and tried to exit through the main door, only to find it jammed as the fire spread rapidly. I saw someone smashing a window using a laptop, and without hesitation, I jumped out along with 10 others," he said, recounting the horror.
Amid the chaos, acts of unexpected kindness shone through. One stranger, driving the same route, offered to rush Ghantasala Subramanyam and three others to the nearest hospital, leaving a lasting impression on those affected.
Survivors of a recent fire shared harrowing accounts of their desperate attempts to escape the flames. Jayanth Kushwal, 27, from Vidyanagar, described the terrifying chaos: “All I remember is people frantically trying to escape. Some smashed the rear windows, others broke the ones by their seats. There were glass shards all around. It was terrifying.”
Naveen Kumar, 26, from Hayathnagar, recounted his instinctive fight for survival: “There wasn't a second to think, everything happened instinctively. When I saw someone break the emergency door at the rear, I rushed towards it. In the chaos, I fractured my left leg. Around me, people were trapped, struggling to escape. I couldn't help them, and that haunts me. But, in those moments, there was nothing anyone could do.
ALSO READ: "Couldn’t believe what I was seeing": Watch Kurnool bus fire survivor reveal horrific details of tragic accident
What police on Kurnool bus tragedy
The bus door got jammed due to a short circuit and the vehicle was completely gutted within minutes. Most survivors were aged between 25 and 35 years, police added. According to officials, some of the materials used for making beds and curtains were flammable, which might have intensified the fire, causing it to spread quickly.PM Modi expressed grief over the loss of lives in the incident. "Extremely saddened by the loss of lives due to a mishap in Kurnool district of Andhra Pradesh," Modi said in a post on 'X'. "An ex-gratia of Rs 2 lakh from PMNRF would be given to the next of kin of each deceased. The injured would be given Rs 50,000," the PM said.
As per Andhra Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu's instructions, the government will provide ex-gratia of Rs 5 lakh to the kin of the deceased and Rs 2 lakh to those who were injured. The Telangana government set up a helpline to assist the kin of passengers.
(With TOI inputs)
