CCTV footage helps hint occasions earlier than accident
Surveillance digicam footage from a close-by petrol pump helped investigators reconstruct the timeline. The footage confirmed Shiva Shankar, a 21-year-old from Tandrapadu village, and his pal Erri Swamy from Tuggali village, arriving on the petrol station at 2.22 am on Friday in an inebriated state.
After refuelling, they left at 2.26 am. About three kilometres away, close to Chinna Tekuru, their bike skidded and hit a street divider. Shankar died on the spot, whereas Swamy was thrown into close by bushes with minor accidents.
Kurnool Superintendent of Police Vikrant Patil stated, “After filling petrol, they left the gasoline station at 2.26 am. After three km, Shankar misplaced management and rammed into the street divider. He died on the spot. Swamy was hurled over the two-foot-high railing however suffered minor accidents as he landed within the bushes.”
Eyewitness account confirms sequence
Swamy informed police he realised his pal had died and moved the physique to the street divider. He tried to take away the bike from the center of the street however couldn't elevate it. He stated two different buses managed to keep away from the fallen bike earlier than the ill-fated Kaveri Travels bus got here.
Swamy stated he fled in panic when the Kaveri Travels bus ran over the bike and caught fireplace after dragging it for a ways. Police took Swamy to the accident web site for a scene reconstruction to confirm his assertion.
Bus driver recounts his model
Bus driver Miryala Lakshmaiah, taken into custody on Friday night, informed police he was driving at 80 to 90 kmph when he all of a sudden noticed the bike on the street. He stated he couldn't management the automobile, ran over the bike, and continued driving with out realising it was caught beneath the bus.“When the friction made the bike's gasoline tank explode, I ended the bus. It was too late,” he informed investigators.
Lakshmaiah stated he tried to open the entry-exit doorways however discovered them jammed. He then broke the aspect and rear home windows with a rod, serving to some passengers escape. As the fireplace unfold quickly, he panicked and ran away.
On experiences that the motive force had used pretend paperwork to acquire a heavy automobile licence, SP Patil stated Lakshmaiah had obtained his driving licence in 2004 and that police have been verifying his instructional credentials.
Smartphone consignment intensified fireplace
Investigators additionally discovered that a big consignment of cellphones saved within the bus's baggage compartment made the fireplace extra extreme. The Vemuri Kaveri Travels bus was carrying 234 new smartphones price round ₹46 lakh, belonging to a Hyderabad-based businessman recognized as Manganath.
The hearth, triggered by the bike explosion, unfold shortly to the bags space. The extreme warmth triggered the lithium-ion batteries of the telephones to endure “thermal runaway,” resulting in a number of explosions.
Survivors reported listening to a collection of loud blasts contained in the bus, believed to be the cellphone batteries detonating. Many victims have been seated immediately above the bags compartment, the place the telephones have been saved.
Authorities at the moment are investigating the bus operator for violating transport guidelines by carrying business cargo on a passenger bus. A senior police official stated the presence of the cellular consignment possible turned a tragic accident right into a catastrophic fireplace.
(Inputs from TOI)
