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At least 25 people were killed and several others injured when a passenger bus caught fire after they crashed into a motorcycle in southern India early Friday, police said.
The bus burst into flames within minutes on a highway near Kurnool district in Andhra Pradesh state, trapping dozens of passengers, senior police officer Vikrant Patil said.
Some people managed to break the windows and escape safely with minor injuries, Patil said, while others burned to death before help could reach them.
The bus with 44 passengers was traveling between two cities Hyderabad In Telangana in the state and Bengaluru Karnataka State. The accident occurred in Chinnatekuru village near Kurnool, about 210 kilometers (130 mi) south of Hyderabad.
Patil said, the motorcycle collided with the speeding bus from behind and got stuck. It was dragged for some distance, causing sparks which spread into the fuel tank of the bus.
“As soon as the smoke started spreading, the driver stopped the bus and tried to extinguish the fire using a fire extinguisher, but the fire was so severe that he could not control it,” Patil said.
Most of the passengers were sleeping at the time of the accident. He told that the bus was burnt to ashes and the unknown bike rider also died.
A team of forensic experts was investigating the incident.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi And Andhra Pradesh’s highest elected official N. Chandrababu Naidu expressed his condolences to the bereaved families.
The fatal bus fire was the second such accident in India in less than two weeks. Earlier this month, a passenger bus caught fire in the northern Indian state of Rajasthan due to a suspected short circuit, causing the vehicle to rapidly burst into flames and killing at least 20 people.