A private sleeper bus traveling from Hyderabad to Bengaluru caught fire early Friday in Andhra Pradesh’s Kurnool district, leaving at least 20 people feared dead. The One Kaveri Travels bus, carrying 40 passengers, was near Ulindakonda when a two-wheeler collided with it from behind. The vehicle’s fuel cap was reportedly open, triggering a fire that engulfed the bus within minutes. Around 12 passengers managed to escape, but others were trapped as the bus door jammed due to a short circuit.

Eleven injured passengers were rushed to Kurnool District Hospital for treatment. Kurnool Range DIG Koya Praveen said most survivors were aged between 25 and 35, including 19 passengers, two children, and two drivers. Andhra Pradesh Transport Minister Mandipalli Ram Prasad Reddy indicated the death toll could rise to 28–30, though exact numbers are still being verified. Control rooms have been established to assist affected families.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President Droupadi Murmu expressed their condolences. The PMO announced an ex-gratia of ₹2 lakh for the next of kin of each deceased and ₹50,000 for the injured. Authorities are continuing rescue operations and investigating the cause of the collision and the rapid spread of the fire.