The fire tragedy in Kurnool that claimed 20 lives highlights the deadly consequences of lapses in road safety, fake licences, and reckless driving.
Miriyala Lakshmaiah, the driver of the double-decker bus involved in the accident, has been arrested. Investigations revealed that Lakshmaiah, who studied only up to Class 5, obtained a heavy vehicle licence using a fake Class 10 certificate, violating mandatory rules that require drivers of transport vehicles to have at least Class 8 education.
The accident was triggered late Friday when two men on a bike — Shiva Shankar and Erri Swami — skidded off the road near Chinna Tekuru. Shiva Shankar died in the crash, and while Erri attempted to remove the bike, the luxury bus ran over it. The bike’s fuel tank exploded due to friction, igniting the bus. Nineteen passengers were burnt alive, while others escaped through an emergency window.
DIG Koya Praveen confirmed forensic tests showed both men were intoxicated. They had eaten at a dhaba before the crash, and Swami admitted to consuming alcohol. Hyderabad Police Commissioner VC Sajjanar called drunk drivers “terrorists,” calling the incident a “preventable massacre” rather than a mere accident.
Kurnool Police Chief Vikrant Patil stated the drunk biker caused the initial crash, but the bus driver remains under investigation for failing to spot the obstruction. The probe is also examining the travel company that owns the bus. Investigators found multiple safety violations, including illegal sleeper conversion, suspicious re-registration to bypass safety checks, and missing emergency tools like window-breaking hammers.
The Kurnool tragedy underscores how road safety rules are frequently flouted in India. Cases of drivers obtaining licences without proper tests, often through forged educational documents, continue to put passengers at grave risk.
