The second driver of the Bengaluru-Hyderabad AC sleeper bus that caught fire in Andhra Pradesh’s Kurnool district has become the focus of attention after the horrific tragedy that killed 20 people.

While some witnesses called him a hero for saving passengers, police accused him of giving inconsistent statements about what happened.

Officials identified the driver as Siva Narayana, 30, who worked for V-Kaveri Travels. He was not driving when the accident occurred at around 3 am on Friday. The bus hit a motorcycle, causing its fuel tank to rupture and explode.

At that moment, Siva was asleep like most passengers. The main driver, Lakshmaiah, woke him up right after the collision. Siva then broke the bus windows and helped several passengers escape.

‘I Broke the Windows and Pulled People Out’

In his account to The Indian Express, Siva described how chaos unfolded inside the bus.
“It was raining heavily and there was no visibility. The bus hit a bike and dragged the bike under it, but driver Lakshmaiah did not notice this at first,” he said.

By the time the driver stopped, flames had already spread. “When I woke up, there was smoke everywhere and the doors were jammed. I knew that the windows would give way if enough force is applied. Then I found a rod and broke open the other windows,” Siva recalled.

He said he managed to pull several passengers out of the burning vehicle. Survivors also confirmed his actions.
“The first person to help me out was a young man. I later realised he was one of the drivers,” said Subramaiam, one of the survivors.

Police Detain Siva, Hunt for Main Driver

Soon after the fire, Lakshmaiah, who was driving at the time, fled from the scene. Police have booked him for negligence and taken Siva into custody for questioning.

During interrogation, officers alleged that Siva gave two different versions of the incident. At first, he reportedly said that Lakshmaiah woke him and told him that the bus had hit something serious. Later, they found that a motorcycle was stuck under the bus.

However, police claim Siva later changed his story, saying that the bike and its rider were already lying on the road from a previous accident, and that Lakshmaiah unknowingly drove over them, triggering the fire.

Officials Suspect Drivers Were Tutored

Investigators from both Telangana and Andhra Pradesh said they suspected that Siva might have been coached. “Owners of travel companies often tutor drivers to mislead police so that the company doesn’t come under investigation,” an officer said.

The Andhra Pradesh government also echoed that suspicion. “When an accident involving these luxury AC buses occurs, especially late in the night, the drivers first call their owners — not police or fire or ambulance,” said Transport Minister M Ramprasad Reddy.
“The owners advise the driver what to say to the police. The driver of this bus, who fled when his passengers were facing death, must be a savage,” he added.

Fire Spread in Two Minutes

Investigators revealed that the fire spread within two minutes, giving passengers almost no time to escape. One officer said, “The driver did not tell the second driver that after he hit the motorcycle, he dragged it for at least 300 metres, and this friction could have resulted in that deadly fire.”

As the investigation continues, Siva Narayana remains in custody, caught between claims of bravery and allegations of misleading the police.