At least 25 people were killed and several others injured when a passenger bus caught fire after colliding with a motorcycle in Andhra Pradesh state, southern India, early Friday.
Police said the accident occurred near Chinnatekuru village in Kurnool district, when the motorcycle rammed into the speeding bus from behind, sparking a blaze that engulfed the vehicle’s fuel tank. The bus was traveling from Hyderabad to Bengaluru with 44 passengers on board.
“The fire spread within minutes, trapping many sleeping passengers,” said senior police official Vikrant Patil. Some managed to smash windows and jump to safety, while others were burned to death before rescue teams arrived. The motorcyclist also died at the scene.
Eighteen survivors are being treated for injuries, police added. Forensic teams are investigating the cause of the fire.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu offered condolences to victims’ families.
It is the second major bus fire in India this month—a similar tragedy in Rajasthan killed at least 20 people earlier in October.
