Kurnool: Investigators find battery malfunction ignited fire, phones deepened disaster
Kurnool, Andhra Pradesh — Investigators confirmed that two 12 KV bus batteries triggered the deadly fire in a private sleeper bus that killed 20 people in Kurnool district on Friday. The Andhra Pradesh Police said the explosion began when the bus hit a two-wheeler and dragged it for several meters, causing sparks that ignited the vehicle’s front section.
Forensic teams said a shipment of 234 smartphones worth ₹46 lakh also fueled the inferno. The lithium-ion batteries inside the devices exploded after the flames spread inside the cabin. Officials said the fire raced through the bus, melting its aluminum flooring and trapping passengers.
On Friday morning, the bus from Hyderabad to Bengaluru hit a speeding bike near Chinnatekur village in Kallur mandal. The bike’s fuel tank burst after getting stuck under the bus, igniting a massive blaze. Nineteen passengers and the biker died on the spot. Several others escaped through broken windows.
Experts from the Fire Services and Forensic Department said the combination of the bus’s internal batteries and the smartphone consignment accelerated the flames. They added that a fuel leak at the bus’s front made the fire spread within seconds.
However, Kurnool Range DIG Koya Praveen said the main cause was the explosion of the two 12 KV batteries, not the smartphone cargo. He explained that the fire started at the main exit door where the batteries were placed. “The bike’s fuel tank burst, but the bus batteries exploded right behind the door. That caused the major flare-up,” Praveen said.
He added that two ignition points emerged — the bike’s tank and the bus battery kit. The bus’s metallic paint and interior materials worsened the fire, spreading heat rapidly across the cabin.
Firefighters reached the site but found the vehicle engulfed. The intense heat melted parts of the structure, making rescue difficult. Meanwhile, forensic teams began DNA profiling of the charred bodies. Officials said they expect to identify all victims by Monday.
There were 44 passengers on board. Many managed to escape after breaking window panes. The bus driver, Miriyala Lakshmaiah, jumped out through the passenger door and fled. Police arrested him later in Kurnool.
Superintendent of Police Vikrant Patil said Lakshmaiah drove recklessly and failed to control the vehicle. He has been charged under sections 125(a) and 106(1) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita for negligence and overspeeding.
Patil praised the additional driver, Siva Narayana, for saving lives. Narayana woke up after the crash and broke windows with a tyre rod, helping passengers escape. Onlookers joined in, breaking more windows from outside.
Police said the two-wheeler rider, Shankar, died instantly after his bike skidded and hit the divider before the bus ran over it. His pillion, Erri Sway, survived with minor injuries. Footage from a nearby petrol pump confirmed their stop minutes before the crash.
Officials continue to probe the exact sequence of explosions, focusing on the role of lithium batteries in both the bus and the phones.
