Bus erupts into fireball after horror crash with motorbike - at least 25 killed

At least 25 people died following a horrific crash between a passenger bus and a motorcycle. The fire tore through the bus within minutes as screaming passengers were heard begging for help.

The rampant fire trapped dozens of passengers as it sped along a highway near Kurnool district in Andhra Pradesh state, senior police official Vikrant Patil said. A motorcycle rammed into the private bus from behind before getting stuck underneath at around 3:30am on Friday, Patil said. The bike was dragged along the road for some time as it started to spark before igniting the bus's fuel tank.

Some survivors managed to smash open windows and leap to safety with minor injuries However, others were horrificly charred to death before help could arrive, Patil said.

It is believed that two children were among the fatalities. "About 19 passengers, two children and two drivers survived the mishap," Kurnool Range DIG Koya Praveen told PTI.

Eyewitnesses recalled hearing passengers screaming for help as locals frantically rushed to pull out any survivors. The unidentified bike rider also died in the tragic crash.

The bus with 44 passengers aboard was traveling between the cities of Hyderabad in Telangana state and Bengaluru in Karnataka state. The accident occurred in Chinnatekuru village near Kurnool, around 210 kilometers (130 miles) south of Hyderabad.

Forensic teams have been sent to identify the bodies with DNA tests potentially required due to the severity of the burns, reports say.

India's President Droupadi Murmu offered her condolences to the bereaved families.

She said on X: "I extend my heartfelt condolences to the bereaved family members and pray for the speedy recovery of those injured."

The deadly bus fire was the second such accident in India in less than two weeks. A suspected short circuit sparked a fire on a passenger bus in the northern Indian state of Rajasthan early this month, rapidly engulfing the vehicle in flames and killing at least 20 people.