Preliminary investigations by the Andhra Pradesh Police indicate that the explosion of a consignment of 234 smartphones in the Hyderabad-Bengaluru bus may have aggravated the fire that killed 19 passengers in Kurnool district early Friday.
The smartphones, valued at Rs 46 lakh, belonged to a Hyderabad-based businessman and were to be delivered to a company in Bengaluru. Survivors reported hearing multiple explosions as the bus flames spread. The consignment was stored in the luggage cabin beneath the seats, close to the bus’s belly section, where a two-wheeler had become lodged during the collision. Forensic experts suggest that the lithium batteries of the handsets intensified the blaze.
According to P. Venkataraman, Director-General of the Andhra Pradesh Fire Services Department, the electrical batteries powering the bus’s air conditioning system also exploded, further worsening the inferno. The heat was so extreme that it melted aluminium sheets on the bus floor, with human remains visible through the molten metal, he said.
Sixteen teams from the Police and Forensic Departments are investigating the tragedy. Ten forensic teams are conducting DNA tests on the charred remains to confirm identities. State Home Minister V. Anitha confirmed that four additional teams are probing the nature of the explosions, with two teams focused on chemical analysis.
Initial findings indicate the fire originated under the front section of the bus after it collided with a motorbike lying on the road. Petrol leakage from the bike, combined with heat or sparks from the collision, likely triggered the flames that rapidly engulfed the bus. The bus driver stated that the two-wheeler had already been involved in an accident, and the bus ran over it, which may have initiated the fire.
The Volvo bus, operated by V Kaveri Travels, departed from Hyderabad on Thursday night and was en route to Bengaluru when the accident occurred near Chinnatekur village on National Highway 44 between 3 a.m. and 3:15 a.m. Friday.
Of the 46 passengers on board, 19, including two children, died in the fire, while 27 survived. Among the deceased, six were from Andhra Pradesh and Telangana, two each from Karnataka and Tamil Nadu, and one each from Odisha and Bihar. One victim remains unidentified.
This tragedy underscores concerns about transporting high-value electronic items on passenger buses and highlights the risks associated with lithium-ion battery fires. Investigators continue to examine the sequence of events and potential safety lapses to determine accountability.
