At least three people lost their lives and many others were injured after a private bus crashed head-on into a container truck and caught fire in Andhra Pradesh’s Nandyal district early on Thursday, police said.

The accident happened around 2 am at Shirivellametta village in Shirivella mandal. According to police, both the bus driver and the truck driver, along with the truck cleaner, were burnt beyond recognition in the blaze.

Bus travelling from Nellore to Hyderabad

The bus, operated by ARBCVR Private Travels, was on its way from Nellore to Hyderabad. It was carrying 36 passengers at the time of the accident.

Police said one of the bus tyres suddenly burst, causing the driver to lose control. The bus crossed the road divider and crashed into a container lorry that was coming from the opposite direction.

Vehicles engulfed in flames within minutes

The collision led to a massive fire that quickly spread to both vehicles. Within minutes, flames engulfed the bus and the container truck, leaving passengers in panic.

The situation became worse when neither the main door nor the emergency exit of the bus opened. As a result, several passengers were initially trapped inside the burning vehicle.

Passengers escape through broken windows

“A DCM vehicle driver passing by noticed the blaze, immediately stopped his vehicle, and broke the bus windows, enabling passengers to flee. Many jumped out through the windows to save their lives,” the police said.

Thanks to this quick action, many passengers managed to escape. However, the bus driver, the lorry driver, and the lorry cleaner remained trapped inside and were burnt alive.

Injured passengers rushed to hospital

More than 10 passengers suffered burn injuries. Some others were hurt after jumping from the bus and during the chaos that followed the fire.

All injured passengers were taken to the Nandyal Government General Hospital for treatment. Doctors said their condition was stable.

Vehicles reduced to ashes

The fire started in the bus and later spread to the container lorry. Both vehicles were completely destroyed in the blaze. Passengers also lost all their luggage and personal belongings, which were burnt.

Traffic disrupted, probe underway

Police and traffic teams rushed to the spot soon after receiving information. Rescue and relief operations were launched immediately. The accident caused traffic disruption on the route for several hours, leading to heavy congestion.

After the damaged vehicles were cleared, traffic was restored.

“A case has been registered, and we have begun an investigation to ascertain the exact sequence of events leading to the accident. Statements are being collected from injured passengers,” the police official said. The official added that timely help from the DCM driver prevented the death toll from rising further.