Hyderabad, 25 October (H.S.): A routine overnight journey turned into a horrific tragedy on Friday morning in Andhra Pradesh's Kurnool district, when a private bus erupted in a deadly fire, claiming the lives of 19 passengers and a motorcyclist. Investigators have now revealed a chilling factor that catastrophically intensified the blaze: a large consignment of 234 smartphones in the cargo hold whose batteries are believed to have exploded in the fire.

The incident occurred in the early hours of Friday when the Hyderabad-to-Bengaluru sleeper bus collided with a motorcycle. According to the Kurnool police, the two-wheeler became trapped under the bus and was dragged, creating sparks that ignited the vehicle's fuel tank.

The fire then spread with devastating speed throughout the vehicle.While the initial spark came from the collision, forensic experts suggest the fire's horrifying intensity was massively fueled by the cargo. A consignment of 234 smartphones, valued at ₹46 lakh and destined for an e-commerce company in Bengaluru, was on board.

Eyewitnesses reported hearing the distinct sound of batteries exploding as the fire raged. P. Venkataraman, Director-General of the Andhra Pradesh Fire Services Department, stated that these explosions, combined with the bursting of the bus's own air-conditioning batteries and flammable interior furnishings, created an unstoppable inferno.

The investigation has also highlighted critical structural flaws in the bus's design. The vehicle was constructed with lightweight aluminum sheets instead of iron, a measure to reduce weight, which proved fatal. The heat was so severe that it melted the aluminium sheets on the bus floor, Venkataraman revealed, adding the grim discovery that we saw bones and ash dropping through the melted sheets.

A case has been registered against the two drivers of the bus for negligent driving. The bodies of the victims were charred beyond recognition, necessitating DNA profiling to confirm their identities before they can be returned to their grieving families.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar