KURNOOL (Andhra Pradesh): The Andhra Pradesh Police on Sunday confirmed that both men involved in the motorcycle accident that triggered the tragic Kurnool bus fire were under the influence of alcohol. The bike, already damaged in a prior crash, collided with a divider before being struck by a speeding bus — leading to a devastating blaze that claimed 20 lives.
According to officials, the motorcycle rider, Harishankar, died instantly after hitting the road divider. His pillion rider, Eri Swamy, tried to remove both the bike and Harishankar’s body from the road, but before he could do so, a Bengaluru-bound bus approached at high speed. The bike got entangled under the vehicle and was dragged for nearly 200 metres, causing the fuel tank to burst and ignite the bus.
Swamy, who fled to his native village Tuggali in panic, later recounted the entire incident to the police. He confirmed that both he and Harishankar had been drinking prior to the accident. The forensic team also verified traces of alcohol in their systems.
DIG Koya Praveen stated that Harishankar had left Laxmipuram around 2 AM on October 24 to drop Swamy at his village. “They had eaten at a roadside dhaba and later refuelled their motorcycle at an HP petrol pump near the Kia showroom around 2:24 AM,” the DIG said. CCTV footage from the petrol pump — now viral — shows Harishankar driving recklessly, apparently intoxicated.
It was raining heavily at the time of the crash. After refuelling, the motorcycle skidded on the wet road and struck a divider. Harishankar fell to the right and died on the spot. Swamy, upon realising this, tried to move the bike away but was caught in the path of an oncoming private bus, which ran over the bike, dragging it for a considerable distance before bursting into flames.
Viral Video Confirms the Riders The viral CCTV footage recorded at 2:22 AM shows two men on a motorcycle at the petrol pump. Moments later, one of them — believed to be Harishankar — rides off unsteadily. The video later helped police identify both men as the ones involved in the fatal accident.
Bus Driver and Cleaner Escaped in Panic Kurnool SP Vikrant Patil said the driver and cleaner of the ill-fated bus jumped out immediately after noticing the flames. Initially unaware of the severity of the fire, they attempted to rescue passengers by breaking window panes with an iron rod. However, when the blaze intensified, they fled the scene in fear. Both were later detained by police and charged with negligence and overspeeding.
The accident occurred near Chinnatekuru village on NH-44 in the early hours of October 24. Twenty passengers were burned to death, while nineteen others escaped by jumping out of the bus windows.
This horrific accident has once again raised serious questions about road safety, speeding, and driving under the influence.
Be the first to comment