Travel Agency Owner Arrested in Deadly Andhra Pradesh Bus Fire That Killed 19 Passengers

19 passengers and a biker perished in the Andhra bus fire incident.

Kurnool (Andhra Pradesh):

Following the tragic incident where 19 bus passengers were charred to death near Kurnool two weeks ago, authorities have arrested Vemuri Vinod Kumar, the owner of V. Kaveri Travels. He was presented before a court and subsequently remanded to judicial custody.

Vinod Kumar has been identified as the second accused in the First Information Report (FIR). The bus driver, Miriyala Lakshmaiah, who is the primary accused, was already placed in judicial custody earlier.

Both individuals face charges under Bharat Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) Sections 125(a) and 106(1) for causing death through rash or negligent actions.

The bus was operating on a route between Telangana and Karnataka through Andhra Pradesh, despite being initially registered in Daman and Diu in 2018 and later re-registered in Odisha this year.

Investigations revealed that the travel operator had illegally modified the vehicle, converting what was meant to be a seating coach into a sleeper coach, violating transportation regulations.

The tragic accident occurred near Chinnatekur village on Kurnool's outskirts early on October 24. The bus was carrying 46 people, including two drivers, and was traveling from Hyderabad to Bengaluru when disaster struck. While 19 passengers, including two children, lost their lives in the fire, 27 others managed to escape by breaking through the glass windows.

The victims hailed from various states: seven from Andhra Pradesh, six from Telangana, two each from Karnataka and Tamil Nadu, and one each from Odisha and Bihar.

Police investigation determined that the bus had run over a motorcycle lying on the road after its rider, B. Shiva Shankar (22), had crashed into the road divider. The bus dragged the motorcycle approximately 200 meters, with the resulting friction and fuel leakage igniting a massive fire that rapidly engulfed the entire vehicle.

Further investigation revealed that Shiva Shankar died at the scene after hitting the divider while intoxicated. His companion, Erriswamy (alias Nani), who was riding pillion and sustained minor injuries, fled in panic after witnessing the bus catch fire.

Authorities identified Erriswamy through CCTV footage from a nearby petrol pump recorded shortly before the accident. He was subsequently arrested in his native village of Tuggali in Kurnool district, where he disclosed the accident's cause to investigators.

According to Erriswamy's statement to police, he had moved Shiva Kumar's body to the roadside and was attempting to clear the motorcycle from the road when the speeding bus struck the bike and dragged it. As flames engulfed the bus, he panicked and fled the scene.