At least 20 people have died in a fire on a tourist bus in the southern Indian state of Andhra Pradesh, the Hindustan Times newspaper reported.
The accident occurred when a Kaveri Travels bus carrying approximately 44 passengers from Hyderabad to Bangalore collided with a motorcycle on a national highway. “The motorcycle got stuck under the bus and hit the fuel tank, causing an immediate explosion and the flames quickly spread throughout the bus“, police said.
Most of the passengers were asleep when the accident occurred. Some woke up, broke windows and jumped out, but many remained inside as the flames quickly engulfed the entire bus. Local residents rushed to the scene and tried to rescue the victims before firefighters arrived.
The police have launched an investigation into the circumstances surrounding the incident, suspecting careless driving and fuel leakage as possible causes of the fire. The bus drivers fled the scene immediately after the incident. They are still being sought.