Fire service personnel remove the burnt articles from the bus that was gutted in a fire at Chinnatekur on the outskirts of Kurnool, where a private bus caught fire, killing several passengers, on October 24, 2025.
| Photo Credit: U. Subramanyam
Officials report that the ill-fated private bus heading to Bengaluru from Hyderabad caught fire on the road on Friday (October 24, 2025) morning while it was raining. The accident took place in Chinnatekur village, under Kalluru mandal of Kurnool district.
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Officials in the Transport Department said that reports have reached them suggesting that the bus, which was moving at high speed, collided with a two-wheeler on the roadway. They said that the two-wheeler, which reportedly got trapped underneath the bus, could have led to intense friction between the metal surfaces, generating heat and igniting a fire in the lower portion of the vehicle.
Even though it was raining at the time, the sparks and subsequent heat buildup has caused the flames to spread rapidly, they said.
All statutory permits valid
All statutory permits, fitness, tax and insurance pertaining to the bus were fulfilled.
Speaking to The Hindu, the Transport Commissioner Manish Kumar Sinha said that the vehicle, owned by Vemuri Kaveri Travels, under the proprietorship of Vemuri Vinod Kumar, had fulfilled all major statutory requirements for operation. “The ownership transfer, registration, permit validity, fitness certification, tax payments, and insurance coverage are all current and valid within the stipulated periods,” he said.
According to the document he shared with The Hindu, the vehicle belonging to Vemuri Kaveri Travels was purchased on May 2, 2018, and initially registered in the Union Territory of Daman and Diu on August 8, 2018. Subsequently, the vehicle was re-registered with the Rayagada Regional Transport Office (RTO), Odisha, on 29th April 2025.
Also read | Kurnool bus accident: List of passengers travelled in the bus
The Transport Department of Odisha issued the tourist permit valid from May 1, 2025, to April 30, 2030, authorising the vehicle to operate as a tourist bus within the State of Odisha. The vehicle also had an All-India Tourist Permit (AITP) issued by the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways, valid from August 1, 2025, to July 31, 2026, which allowed the vehicle to operate as a tourist bus throughout India during this period.
The vehicle’s fitness certificate was issued by authorities in Silvassa, Daman and Diu, valid till March 31, 2027, the road tax had been paid till March 31, 2026, and insurance was valid till April 20, 2026.
Published – October 24, 2025 11:46 am IST
