‘Doors Jammed, We Broke Windows’: Survivors Share Horrific Kurnool Bus Fire

Last Updated:October 24, 2025, 14:19 IST

The bus door got jammed due to a short circuit and the vehicle was completely gutted within minutes.

Kurnool bus fore claimed at least 20 lives.

At least 20 people lost their lives after a fire broke out in a Bengaluru-bound private bus after hitting a bike in Andhra Pradesh’s Kurnool in the early hours of Friday.

The bus, traveling from Hyderabad to Bengaluru was engulfed in flames after it collided with a two-wheeler near Chinnatekuru village. The bike got trapped under the bus and hit the fuel tank, causing a massive fire that quickly spread throughout the vehicle.

The private travel bus was carrying around 40 passengers when the incident took place. Initially, the fire broke out in the front portion of the bus and gradually spread throughout the vehicle.

“About 19 passengers, two children and two drivers survived the mishap," Kurnool Range DIG Koya Praveen told news agency PTI.

Survivors recounted their horrific experience of how they broke windows to escape the raging flames. Passengers said they felt trapped inside the bus as the doors remained locked, leaving them with no option but to break the emergency windows to save their lives.

One of the passengers, Jayant Kushwaha, said that he remained in disbelief after witnessing fire onboard as soon as he woke up.

“Everyone in the bus was sleeping. We woke everyone…We broke the emergency window as the main door was locked…We jumped out of the window…Many people jumped out of the bus by breaking the windows…," he told ANI.

Another survivor, Ashwin, stressed that about 20 passengers managed to escape; however, several others could not. He said that he alerted the driver about the fire.

“Last night, we boarded the bus at Kukatpally to travel to Bengaluru. I was seated behind the driver’s seat. After a long journey, between 2:30 and 3:30 am, I noticed a fire on the window side and immediately alerted the driver. The bus was stopped rightaway. Meanwhile, we tried to break the windows to escape. Around 20 people managed to get out of the bus, but the others were unable to escape," Ashwin told ANI.

A third passenger, who suffered injuries, told news agency PTI, “Fire spread quickly on the bus; I jumped from the back window."

The bus door got jammed due to a short circuit and the vehicle was completely gutted within minutes.

Some bodies were completely burned beyond identification, says TDP MP Byreddy Shabari. Andhra Pradesh transport authorities are now verifying the bus’s health.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has announced financial support of Rs 2 lakh for the families of those who died and Rs 50,000 for the injured.

(With inputs from agencies)

Shobhit Gupta

Shobhit Gupta is a sub-editor at News18.com and covers India and International news. He is interested in day to day political affairs in India and geopolitics. He earned his BA Journalism (Hons) degree from Ben...Read More

Shobhit Gupta is a sub-editor at News18.com and covers India and International news. He is interested in day to day political affairs in India and geopolitics. He earned his BA Journalism (Hons) degree from Ben...

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