Bus was speeding, violated fire safety norms

Hyderabad: At the time of mishap, the ill-fated bus, which claimed the lives of 20 passengers and left over two dozen other passengers injured in Kurnool on Friday, was travelling at 100 km per hour, despite lacking fire safety and other norms.

The bus had run up multiple e-challans with fines totaling Rs 23,000 in Telangana, including those for over-speeding.

Officials stated that the operators violated fire safety norms. There was not even a foam bottle in the bus for drivers to use to extinguish flames during an emergency.

The mandatory hammer meant for breaking glass was not readily available to passengers who remained trapped. Had the driver left the main door open, many of the passengers could have escaped to safety, say officials.

Officials at the Andhra Pradesh Transport Department said that the bus, registered under Kaveri Travels in Daman and Diu on May 2, 2018, had a valid tourist permit till April 30, 2030, fitness certificate till March 31, 2027, and insurance coverage till April 20, 2026. “The bus was mechanically fit. A thorough probe is underway, and preventive measures will be taken based on the investigation report,” said the Transport Department.

However, as per preliminary investigations, the primary cause of the fire was the collision between a bus and the two-wheeler, possibly due to poor visibility, over-speeding, or driver’s negligence. Other reasons appear to be the non-fire-retardant interior materials and inadequate emergency exits in the vehicle. According to the Andhra Pradesh Fire Services Department, during the investigation of the vehicle, more than 100 new mobile phones were found that had exploded due to severe heat. “We have found the damaged spare parts of handsets hidden beneath the rear seats,” officials said.

Meanwhile, the Telangana Transport Department stated that it is extending full cooperation to investigating teams. Telangana Transport Minister Ponnam Prabhakar said the government would deal sternly with those endangering public safety through reckless operations.

Ponnam Prabhakar said: “Speed limit prevents accidents, and we will ensure strict enforcement of the regulations,” he said.