Rayavaram (Andhra Pradesh), March 26 At least 13 people aboard a private bus were killed and 22 were injured in a fire that broke out after the vehicle collided with a tipper truck in Markapuram district on Thursday, top government officials said.
The accident occurred between 5:30 am and 6 am near the Rayavaram village on the road leading to Podili when the bus crashed into the tipper truck carrying concrete chips, colliding with its fuel tank, which sparked a massive fire.
"There were 41 people on the bus at the time of the accident, and all 13 deceased were burnt to death," Home Minister Vangalapudi Anitha said.
According to her, the bus belonged to Harikrishna Travels, and its owner is from Kanigiri. She said the bus had a valid license and insurance until December 2026.
The private bus was traveling from Jagtiyal in Telangana to Kaligiri in the Nellore district.
President Droupadi Murmu, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, and Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu expressed grief over the incident.
Markapuram Superintendent of Police V Harshavardhan Raju said the preliminary investigation suggests the bus veered into the wrong lane and hit the truck.
"The people in the tipper were injured. The impact also occurred in the diesel tank of the tipper. It is clear that the bus hit the truck," Raju told reporters.
Besides the impact and the diesel tank-fueled fire, he said the bus' battery also caught fire, resulting in five deaths in the front and eight in the rear.
He said the driver's claim that the bus' steering wheel got stuck needs further investigation.
Three of the injured are reported to be in critical condition, according to an official press release.
President Murmu expressed condolences for the loss of life and wished a speedy recovery for the injured.
"I am deeply saddened to learn about the tragic bus accident in Markapuram district, Andhra Pradesh. I extend my deepest condolences to the bereaved families. My thoughts and prayers are with them. I wish a speedy recovery to those injured," Murmu said on X.
PM Modi announced an ex-gratia of Rs 2 lakh from PMNRF to the next of kin of each deceased person. The injured would be given Rs 50,000.
"The accident in Markapuram district, Andhra Pradesh, is tragic. My condolences to those who have lost their loved ones. May the injured recover at the earliest," PM Modi said.
Andhra Pradesh CM Naidu and his Telangana counterpart A Revanth Reddy expressed profound shock and grief over the road accident.
Naidu held a teleconference with senior officials and ministers, directing them to provide the best possible medical care to all the injured victims and adequate compensation to the families of the deceased and injured passengers.
Ordering an investigation into the accident, Naidu offered his deepest condolences to the bereaved families and assured full support from the state government.
Revanth Reddy directed Telangana Chief Secretary Ramakrishna Rao to gather complete details about those who died and those who were injured in the accident.
The survivors recounted the horror of the early morning tragedy.
Several completely burnt bodies lay on the road before being shifted to ambulances for further formalities. The rib cage of one body was also visible, indicating the severity of the blaze.
A male passenger, who was checking his phone at the time of the accident, said most people were asleep.