In a fresh development in the ongoing investigation into the bus fire accident in Andhra Pradesh’s Kurnool, police have reportedly obtained some clues about the possible involvement of a third vehicle in the incident.
Nineteen passengers were killed as the Bengaluru-bound sleeper bus caught fire after it ran over a bike, which had already met with an accident at Chinna Tekuru village on October 24.
According to the initial investigation, as the bus dragged the bike for around 300 metres, its fuel tank cap opened, leading to the burst. The bus was carrying 44 passengers, several of whom managed to escape the blaze.
According to police, the skid marks of the Kaveri Travels bus were found slightly ahead of the spot where the two-wheeler initially fell, suggesting that the motorbike had moved a little further after the first impact.
"The difference in the skid mark position of the bike indicates that another vehicle could have hit it before the bus ran over it," Kurnool district superintendent of police Vikrant Patil told PTI.
According to an Indian Express report, police believe that an Omni bus that passed the same road dragged the bike to the middle of the road before the Kaveri Travel bus hit it.
Police said Shankar and Swamy were travelling on their two-wheeler from Lakshmipuram village around 2 am on October 24 to drop the latter at Tuggali village in Kurnool district. The two-wheeler skidded, resulting in Shankar falling to his right and hitting the divider. He died on the spot.
According to the CCTV visuals, 14 vehicles passed the accident site, and one of the buses dragged the motorbike to the middle of the road. Later, the Kaveri Travel bus hit the bike and dragged it for 300 metres before the bike’s fuel tank burst into flames.
The police have now launched a search to nab the driver of the Omni bus.
