Hyderabad/Kurnool — The devastating double-decker bus fire in Kurnool, Andhra Pradesh, which claimed the lives of 20 passengers, has exposed shocking lapses in road safety and licensing procedures in India. Police have arrested the bus driver, Miriyala Lakshmaiah, as investigators revealed he obtained a heavy vehicle license using a fake Class 10 academic certificate.
The tragedy, which occurred late Friday near Chinna Tekuru, was triggered by an initial road crash involving a motorcycle. According to police reports, two men on the bike were intoxicated when they skidded off the road and hit a divider. Shortly after the crash, the luxury bus, driven by Lakshmaiah, ran over the bike, dragging it for several meters. The friction caused the bike’s fuel tank to explode, immediately engulfing the bus in a massive blaze. Nineteen passengers were burnt alive, while one of the injured men from the bike crash also succumbed to his injuries, bringing the total death toll to 20.
Koya Praveen, Kurnool range’s Deputy Inspector General of Police, confirmed that forensic evidence showed the two men on the bike were drunk.
The arrest of Lakshmaiah has brought to light systemic failures. Despite having only studied up to Class 5, he bypassed the mandatory minimum education requirement (Class 8) for transport vehicle drivers using a forged certificate.
In a strong reaction to the tragedy, a senior Hyderabad police official labeled drunk drivers as “terrorists” and called the incident a “preventable massacre.” Authorities are now vowing to intensify crackdowns on drunk driving and scrutinize the licensing process to prevent such catastrophic incidents of negligence.
