Representational image only. File
| Photo Credit: Nagara Gopal
A private company staff bus went up in flames in an accident at Melachuru village on the Venkatagiri-Naidupet road in Tirupati district late on Thursday (April 2, 2026).
The bus belonging to a company operating from the Menakuru SEZ was proceeding towards Venkatagiri when a two-wheeler came up suddenly on the road and collided with the bus.
The heavy impact of the collision caused the motorcycle to go under the bus while the fuel tank opened up, triggering a fire that made the entire bus go up in flames. The passengers jumped out of the burning bus to save their lives. None of the bus passengers was reported hurt.
However, the motorcyclist, P. Pradeep Reddy (40) of Athivaram village of Ozili mandal, who reportedly got on to the main road from CC Kandriga road, died on the spot after suffering serious burns.
The incident triggered panic among the villagers, coming in the backdrop of the back-to-back bus accidents on highways across Andhra Pradesh.
Published – April 03, 2026 12:23 pm IST
