BENGALURU, Oct 24: In a tragic incident, over 25 passengers were reportedly charred to death and several others were injured when a luxury private bus travelling from Hyderabad to Bengaluru caught fire near Chinnatekuru village in Kurnool district early on Friday (October 24, 2025).
Witnesses said the fire spread so rapidly that most passengers were trapped inside before they could react. Twelve people managed to escape, some with burn injuries, while others are believed to have been consumed by the flames.
"About 19 passengers, two children and two drivers survived the mishap," Kurnool Range DIG Koya Praveen told PTI. Most survivors were aged between 25 and 35 years
26 people dead after bus catches fire in southwest India
Firefighters and rescue teams rushed to the scene, battling to extinguish the blaze and recover the remains. Officials have yet to release a confirmed death toll, but the scale of the destruction suggests a high number of casualties.
Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu expressed his condolences to the families of those killed and directed district authorities to ensure swift relief measures and medical assistance for survivors. “It is a deeply tragic incident,” he said, adding that an inquiry will be conducted to determine the cause and lapses, if any.
Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu expressed his condolences to the families of those killed and directed district authorities to ensure swift relief measures and medical assistance for survivors. “It is a deeply tragic incident,” he said, adding that an inquiry will be conducted to determine the cause and lapses, if any.
The Kurnool disaster comes barely a week after another deadly bus fire in Rajasthan that claimed 22 lives, including those of three children. In that case, a bus travelling from Jaisalmer to Jodhpur caught fire near Thaiyat village on October 14. Investigations suggested that a suspected short circuit in the vehicle’s air-conditioning system, which caused a gas leak, had triggered the inferno.
The two incidents, occurring within days of each other, have renewed concerns over passenger safety.
