Kurnool (Andhra Pradesh), Oct 24 (NationPress) The government of Andhra Pradesh has formed 16 investigation teams to conduct a comprehensive inquiry into the tragic bus fire incident that occurred in Kurnool district on Friday, resulting in the loss of 19 lives.

Home Minister V. Anitha briefed reporters following her visit to the scene near Chinnatekur village on the outskirts of Kurnool, stating that 27 individuals, including both drivers, managed to escape from the private bus that ignited after colliding with a two-wheeler that became lodged under the vehicle.

The bus, operated by V. Kaveri Travels, was traveling from Hyderabad to Bengaluru.

Nine passengers sustained injuries, with six receiving treatment at the Government General Hospital in Kurnool and three others at a private facility. All injured individuals are reported to be in stable condition.

Among the 19 passengers who perished in the fire, two were children. The incident took place between 3:00 and 3:15 a.m.

The deceased included six individuals from Andhra Pradesh and Telangana, two each from Karnataka and Tamil Nadu, and one each from Odisha and Bihar. One victim remains unidentified.

Due to the severity of the burns, the remains will be returned to their families following a DNA test, as stated by Anitha, who was accompanied by Transport Minister Ramprasad Reddy.

The Home Minister confirmed that there were a total of 39 adults, four children, and one unidentified individual on board the bus. She added that 23 adults, two children, and both drivers survived the tragic event.

Preliminary investigations indicated that the bus collided with a motorcycle, dragging it along for several feet. The combination of the collision and fuel leak from the bike ignited the fire, engulfing the entire vehicle.

The motorcycle rider was also killed in the incident, identified as B. Shivshankar, a 24-year-old from Kurnool.

According to the Home Minister, police were notified at 3:21 a.m., and emergency responders arrived promptly to commence rescue operations. The second driver managed to force open the rear exit door, helping trapped passengers escape.

Investigations revealed that two unidentified individuals boarded the bus at Aramghar in Hyderabad, with one deboarding later. The other individual is believed to have died in the fire.

Anitha announced a compensation of ₹5 lakh for the families of the deceased and ₹2 lakh for the injured, applicable to victims from Andhra Pradesh.

The police have initiated a case, and the driver at the time of the accident is currently being interrogated to determine the cause of the crash.

Kurnool Superintendent of Police Vikrant Patil reported that the bus driver claimed the bus struck a motorcycle that was already on the road, suggesting that the motorcycle rider had been involved in a prior accident.

The Home Minister confirmed that 16 teams from police and forensic departments have been assembled to investigate from various perspectives. Ten teams will focus on conducting DNA tests.

Four teams are designated for physical examinations and analyzing the nature of the explosion, while two teams will handle chemical assessments.

Director General of Police Harish Kumar Gupta also visited the scene of the incident.

The deceased have been identified as follows: J. Philomen Baby (64), Kishore (64), Prashanth (32), Arga Bandyopadhyay (23), Yuvan Shankar Raja (22), Meghnath (25), Dhatri (27), Amrit Kumar (18), Chandana Manga (23), Anusha (22), Giri Rao (48), Kenugu Deepak Kumar (24), G. Ramesh (35), G. Anusha (30), Manitha (10), Keshanath Manish (12), Sandhya Rani (43), Srinivasa Reddy, and Panchala Sivashankar (the motorcycle rider).

One bus passenger's name remains unknown.

Among the deceased were three young women tech professionals from the Telugu states, all working in IT firms in Bengaluru.

A family of four from Nellore district of Andhra Pradesh also tragically lost their lives in this incident.

Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu expressed profound sorrow over the accident and instructed ministers and officials to promptly visit the site and implement relief measures.

While on a trip to the UAE, the Chief Minister held a teleconference with ministers and officials, urging immediate action to identify the victims and return their bodies to relatives. He called for an inquiry into the accident.

Telangana's Excise Minister Jupally Krishna Rao also visited the site, accompanied by senior officials. He noted that six victims were from Telangana, with ten passengers from the state surviving.

He mentioned that Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy has announced a ₹5 lakh compensation for the deceased from Telangana and ₹2 lakh for the injured.

Krishna Rao emphasized that the accident was a result of driver negligence and assured that the Telangana government would implement measures to prevent future incidents.

He stated that directives would be issued to ensure that private bus operators employ well-trained drivers and strictly adhere to Transport Department regulations.