Three persons were charred to death after a private bus collided head-on with a truck and caught fire in Andhra Pradesh’s Nandyal district in the early hours of Thursday, police said.
The accident occurred around 2 am near Shivella Metta when the bus, operated by AR BCVR Travels, was travelling from Nellore to Hyderabad with 36 passengers on board. According to police, the bus was at high speed when it reportedly suffered a tyre burst, causing the driver to lose control. The vehicle veered off the road divider and rammed into an oncoming truck.
The impact of the collision was so severe that both vehicles caught fire almost immediately. Flames spread rapidly, leading to panic among passengers trapped inside the bus.
A passing DCM vehicle driver noticed the blaze, stopped, and rushed to assist. He broke open the bus windows and helped several passengers escape by jumping out. Shortly after, police reached the spot and launched a rescue operation. Fire tenders were deployed to extinguish the fire, and traffic on the highway was regulated to prevent further accidents.
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Nandyal district Superintendent of Police Suneel Sheoran said the bus was en route to Hyderabad when the mishap took place. “All passengers were evacuated safely,” he said.
Police confirmed that the bus driver, the lorry driver and the cleaner died on the spot. More than 10 passengers sustained minor injuries while escaping through the windows and were shifted to the Nandyal Government Hospital for treatment.
A case has been registered, and an investigation is underway. Preliminary findings indicate that a tyre burst was the primary cause of the accident. Police have once again urged transport operators to ensure proper vehicle maintenance to prevent such incidents.
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