Daijiworld Media Network - Kurnool

Kurnool, Oct 30: The Andhra Pradesh Police have launched a deeper investigation into the horrific bus fire accident near Chinna Tekuru village in Kurnool district that claimed 19 lives, suspecting the involvement of a third vehicle in the chain of events.

The tragic incident occurred in the early hours of October 24 when a Bengaluru-bound sleeper bus belonging to Kaveri Travels ran over a motorcycle that had already met with an accident. The bike got trapped beneath the bus and was dragged for some distance, leading to its fuel tank cap opening and triggering a massive fire that engulfed the bus.

Out of 44 passengers onboard, several managed to escape, but 19 lost their lives in the blaze before rescue operations could reach the spot.

According to Kurnool district superintendent of police Vikrant Patil, forensic evidence from the scene suggests that a third vehicle might have been involved prior to the bus running over the bike. “The difference in the skid mark position of the bike indicates that another vehicle could have hit it before the bus ran over it,” SP Patil told PTI.

Police officials confirmed that the skid marks of the bus were found slightly ahead of the point where the two-wheeler initially fell, hinting that the motorbike had moved further after the first impact.

A special investigation team is now verifying CCTV footage and other technical clues to determine whether another vehicle was present at the scene and whether it triggered the initial crash.

Authorities have vowed a thorough probe into the tragedy, which has sparked outrage and grief across both Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka, as many of the victims were travelling home for the weekend.