KURNOOL: Several crucial details have come to the fore in the probe into the bus fire near Chinnatekuru village in Kurnool district in the early hours of Friday, which claimed 19 lives. District Superintendent of Police Vikrant Patil on Saturday revealed that the motorcycle involved in the bus fire had a pillion rider, who survived.
Giving the details, the SP said Shivashankar, who died in the mishap, and his friend Yerriswami alias Nani, started from Lakshmipuram village around 2 am on Friday on a Pulsar bike. He intended to drop his friend at Tuggali.
The CCTV camera footage that emerged after the bus fire showed that the duo stopped at a petrol pump for refueling near the Kia showroom at 2.24 am. Soon after leaving the petrol pump, the bike skidded and hit the road divider. Shivashankar died on the spot in the incident. Yerriswami sustained minor injuries. The SP said Yerriswami attempted to pull Shivashankar aside to check whether he was dead or alive. In the process, he tried to move the fallen bike.
Meanwhile, the Vemuri Kaveri Travels bus rammed the bike and dragged it several meters. The collision led to fuel leakage from the bike, and within moments, the bus went up in flames. Panicked, Yerriswami fled the scene and returned to his native village.
The forensic investigation revealed that the ill-fated bus was illegally carrying a consignment of 234 brand new mobile phones beneath the rear seats of the bus. The probe revealed that the lithium-ion batteries of the mobile phones exploded due to extreme heat.