‘Extremely saddened’: PM Modi announces compensation for Kurnool bus tragedy victims
At least 20 people were charred to death after a private travel bus caught fire near Andhra Pradesh’s Kurnool district on early Friday morning.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed condolences over the Kurnool bus tragedy in which, at least 20 people died. He also announced a compensation of ₹2 lakh from the Prime Minister National Relief Fund for the families of those who have died and ₹50,00 to those who were injured in the fire.
The Prime Minister also said that he is praying for the speedy recovery of those who got injured in the fire.
“Extremely saddened by the loss of lives due to a mishap in Kurnool district of Andhra Pradesh. My thoughts are with the affected people and their families during this difficult time. Praying for the speedy recovery of the injured,” read a post by the office of PM Modi.
Also read: Kurnool bus tragedy: At least 20 passengers killed as private bus catches fire
“An ex-gratia of Rs. 2 lakh from PMNRF would be given to the next of kin of each deceased. The injured would be given Rs. 50,000: PM,” it added.
A private travel bus caught fire near Chinnatekur village in Kallur mandal of Andhra Pradesh’s Kurnool district on early Friday morning at around 3.30 am, in which, at least 20 people were charred to death. A dozen of passengers managed to escape the fire with minor injuries, said police.
Also read: Bike crash, an open fuel tank: What caused the Kurnool bus tragedy that left 20 dead?
The bus was travelling from Hyderabad to Bengaluru and had around 44 passengers aboard when the incident happened. The bus met an accident with a motorcycle on the highway near Kurnool city, following which, the two-wheeler got trapped under the bus and hit the fuel tank, which led to an immediate explosion, said police.
The bus belonged to Kaveri Travels. Most of the passengers in the bus were asleep when the tragedy hit.
Scary visuals from the spot show the bus completely engulfed in flames in the middle of the highway. After the flames were doused, the bus was seen completely charred. The police and fire services are present at the spot.
Kurnool District Collector A Siri said that out of the 42 passengers on the bus, 21 have been rescued safely.
"The accident occurred between 3 and 3:10 am when the bus collided with a bike, causing a fuel leak that led to the fire. Out of the 41 passengers, 21 have been rescued safely. Among the remaining 20, the bodies of 11 have been identified so far. Efforts are underway to identify the rest," he said, reported news agency ANI.
(With inputs from Srinivasa Rao Apparasu)
