Kurnool bus tragedy: 12-years after Mahabubnagar tragedy, Kurnool incident reopens wounds

Nineteen people died when a private travel bus from Hyderabad to Bengaluru caught fire in Kurnool after colliding with a motorcycle. The accident revives memories of the 2013 Palem bus fire. Authorities have launched a probe and increased bus inspections.

Hyderabad: Twelve years after the horrific Palem bus fire in Mahabubnagar that killed 45 passengers in October 2013, tragedy struck again on Friday as 19 people lost their lives in a similar incident in Kurnool district.

The latest accident occurred in the early hours of Friday when a private travel bus bound from Hyderabad to Bengaluru caught fire after colliding with a motorcycle on the highway. The biker also died on the spot.

Ironically, the 2013 Palem accident involved a Volvo bus travelling in the opposite direction, from Bengaluru to Hyderabad, which hit a culvert, rupturing its diesel tank and triggering a massive blaze that engulfed the vehicle.

Both incidents happened in October, nearly a week apart on the calendar, reviving painful memories of one of Telangana’s (then AP) worst road disasters.

Authorities have launched a probe into the latest mishap and stepped up inspections of private travel buses across the state.