A shocking development has surfaced in the investigation of the tragic Kurnool bus fire involving Vemuri Kaveri Travels near Chinnatekuru. Forensic officials have confirmed that the explosion of more than 400 mobile phones stored in the bus’s luggage compartment was a key factor that intensified the blaze and caused heavy casualties.
The accident reportedly began when the bus collided with a motorcycle. The impact dislodged the bike’s fuel tank cap, resulting in a petrol leak. The motorcycle became trapped under the bus and was dragged for a distance, creating sparks that quickly ignited the leaked fuel. The flames then spread to the luggage area of the bus.
Inside the compartment was a parcel containing hundreds of mobile phones. Due to the rising temperature, the lithium batteries inside these phones overheated and exploded almost at once. This powerful blast caused the fire to spread rapidly into the passenger section above, leaving passengers with almost no time to react.
Most victims were seated or resting in the front portion of the bus, directly above the luggage compartment, and were unable to escape as the vehicle was quickly engulfed in flames and thick smoke. The situation worsened when the emergency exit on the right side reportedly failed to open, trapping passengers inside. According to preliminary findings, the driver stopped the vehicle after noticing the fire, escaped through the cabin window, checked the rear briefly, and then fled the scene.
With the explosion of phone batteries now identified as a major factor in escalating the fire, authorities are expected to reconsider safety measures related to luggage transport in private buses. Police and transport officials begin inspections of parcel offices operated by private travel agencies across the state to prevent the transport of hazardous materials such as large quantities of mobile phones without proper precautions.
The forensic findings indicate that the simultaneous explosion of over 400 mobile phones turned a critical situation into a deadly disaster, raising serious concerns over unsafe parcel practices in passenger buses.
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