Hyderabad-Bengaluru bus fire: Karnataka sends transport department officials to Kurnool

Karnataka has sent a squad of officials from the Transport Department to Kurnool successful Andhra Pradesh, wherever astatine slightest 19 passengers were reportedly charred to death and respective others injured erstwhile a luxury backstage autobus travelling from Hyderabad to Bengaluru caught occurrence aboriginal connected Friday (October 24, 2025). The officials person been instructed to place victims from Karnataka and widen indispensable assistance to their families.

Speaking to The Hindu, Transport Minister Ramalinga Reddy said, “We are inactive verifying details astir however galore victims are from Karnataka. I person already directed RTO officials from Bagepalli successful Karnataka to question to Kurnool, wherever the mishap occurred, to coordinate with section authorities, stitchery accusation astir the victims, and assistance their families.”

Also read: Kurnool autobus occurrence unrecorded updates

On the autobus progressive successful the incident, the Minister clarified that it was operating with valid permissions nether an All India Permit. “As per accusation received from officials, this peculiar autobus had each the indispensable permits to ply betwixt Bengaluru and Hyderabad. All India Permit vehicles are allowed to run connected immoderate way crossed the state and are not restricted to fixed routes,” helium said.

Minister recalls 2013 information directive

Recalling a akin calamity successful 2013, when a backstage luxury autobus caught occurrence connected the Bengaluru–Hyderabad National Highway sidesplitting 45 passengers, Mr. Reddy said that important information measures were introduced pursuing that incident. “During my earlier tenure arsenic Transport Minister successful 2013, I had directed each Regional Transport Offices (RTOs) to guarantee that each backstage arsenic good arsenic State-run buses were equipped with an further exigency exit isolated from the main doorway to facilitate speedy evacuation during emergencies,” helium said.

Mr. Reddy added that the 2013 determination was important due to the fact that galore luxury AC sleeper buses had sealed windows, forcing passengers to interruption them utilizing hammers to flight during accidents. “Following the directive, astir 50,000 buses successful the State, including KSRTC and backstage operators, were retrofitted with other exigency doors,” helium explained.

Transport Department officials reiterated that velocity restrictions are already successful spot for State-run buses. “KSRTC buses are constricted to a apical velocity of 80 km/h to heighten information connected highways. Drivers are besides advised to instrumentality to the 2 near lanes to let faster vehicles to overtake,” said an official.

Motorists rise concerns

Meanwhile, the tragic incidental has focused attraction connected the Bengaluru–Hyderabad highway, a important but progressively congested corridor. Motorists person raised concerns astir the road’s information and the behaviour of immoderate drivers on the route.

Sagar Kumar, a regular commuter, described the agelong arsenic “super risky.” He said, “Driving connected the Hyderabad–Bengaluru road is not unsafe due to the fact that of mediocre roads, but due to the fact that of the driving etiquette. This road should technically person six lanes with four-lane work roads. It’s a nightmare adjacent during the day. Many backstage autobus operators besides chopped corners connected information measures. I stopped travelling by autobus connected this way for these reasons.”

Transport officials said that portion the astir 100-km agelong from Bengaluru up to the Karnataka borderline adjacent Bagepalli is successful comparatively bully condition, monitoring overspeeding and enforcing information norms stay priorities. “After this accident, we volition research however to fortify checks connected velocity violations and amended surveillance on the route,” an authoritative added.

The National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) was unavailable for remark astatine the clip of publication.