45 dead in bus fire near Mahabubnagar

Oct 30, 2013, 09:15 IST

Hyderabad, 45 passengers charred to death when a private Volvo bus caught fire on Bangalore highway in the wee hours of Wednesday.

The accident occurred on NH-44 at Palem in Kothakota mandal Mahabubnagar, when the bus was traveling from Bangalore to Hyderabad.

The accident happened when the bus driver attempted to overtake another vehicle at high speed, hitting the fuel tank on a culvert the tank burst, causing the fire. Forty five passengers, who were in deep sleep, were dead. Police say as many as 49 passengers were traveling on the bus only four people managed to break the glass windows of the bus and escape before the fire engulfed it completely. The bus belonging to Jabbar travels a well known travel agency.

Mahabubnagar District Collector M.Girija Shankar said five passengers were shifted to DRDO Hospital in Hyderabad. He along with Superintendent of Police Nagendra Kumar visited the scene. They said a list of only 29 passengers was received from the private bus travels.Other passengers are believed have boarded the bus at Hindupur and Anantapur. The passengers were asleep when the accident took place, leaving no time for them to escape. The victims were charred beyond recognition.

People from nearby village said the bus was reduced to ashes within few minutes. Policemen with the help of forensic experts were seen retrieving charred remains of the passengers and keeping them under a tent erected near the scene on Bangalore-Hyderabad national highway. The experts will conduct DNA test to identity the bodies.

Mahabubnagar district police have opened a helpline to provide information. Following are the helpline numbers: 9494600100, 08542-245927, 245930, 245932