On March 26, in Amaravati, a horrific bus fire in Markapuram district of Andhra Pradesh resulted in the deaths of 14 people and injuries to 22 others. This incident is the latest in a series of deadly bus accidents in the Telugu states.
In the last six months, both Andhra Pradesh and Telangana have experienced at least four major bus tragedies.
On October 24, 2025, a private bus carrying 46 people caught fire after hitting a motorbike on a road near Kurnool, resulting in the deaths of 19 people, including two children. Passengers managed to escape by breaking windows, with 27 people escaping.
Police investigation revealed that the bus driver ran over a motorbike lying on the road after the rider hit the road divider. The bus dragged the motorbike for about 200 meters, and the resulting friction and fuel leak ignited a massive fire that engulfed the entire bus.
The driver of the bus, B. Shiva Shankar (22), was killed after hitting the divider, while his friend, Erriswamy alias Nani, who was a passenger, escaped with minor injuries. Police arrested Miriyala Lakshmaiah, the bus driver, and Vemuri Vinod Kumar, the owner of V. Kaveri Travels, for causing death by reckless or negligent driving.
On November 3, 2025, a collision between a bus and a truck in the Rangareddy district of Telangana resulted in the deaths of 19 people and injuries to 24 others.
A tipper truck loaded with gravel collided with a Telangana State Road Transport Corporation (TGSRTC) bus traveling from the opposite direction. The bus, carrying 72 people, was traveling from Tandur to Hyderabad. The deceased included 10 women and a 10-month-old baby. The drivers of both the TGSRTC bus and the truck were killed in the head-on collision. Passengers in the first six rows were crushed and buried under the gravel.
On the same day, a private bus overturned in Andhra Pradesh's Eluru district, killing a man and injuring 10 others. The accident occurred when the bus, belonging to Bharati Travels and traveling from Eluru to Hyderabad, overturned while negotiating a turn at Jubilee Nagar.
On November 4, 2025, one person was killed and eight others were injured when a private bus collided with a truck in Andhra Pradesh's Sri Sathya Sai district. The accident occurred near Dhamajipalli in Chennakothapalle mandal when the bus belonging to Jabbar Travels hit the truck from behind while negotiating the turn.
Three people were killed when a private bus caught fire after colliding with a container lorry in Andhra Pradesh's Nandyal district on January 22, 2026. The bus lost control after a tyre burst, and after crossing the road divider, it collided with a lorry traveling from the opposite direction.
The bus, which was traveling from Nellore to Hyderabad in Andhra Pradesh, and the container truck carrying motorcycles, caught fire as a result of the collision.
Police reported that the drivers of both vehicles and the cleaner of the lorry were killed. All the passengers survived. Of the 36 passengers onboard, four sustained minor fractures and were admitted to a hospital.
Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu of Andhra Pradesh expressed concern over increasing road accidents and directed officials to conduct third-party audits to identify the causes.
Third-party audits are expected to help determine whether accidents are caused by vehicle defects, driver negligence, or road engineering flaws.