Hyderabad: Telangana Tourism and Culture Minister Jupally Krishna Rao on Friday visited the Kurnool bus fire site near Chinnatekur, where a Kaveri Travels vehicle met with a fatal accident.
The minister inspected the scene and sought a detailed report from the Gadwal District Collector on the incident. He inquired about ongoing relief measures and expressed deep shock over the tragedy.
Speaking to the media, Jupally Krishna Rao stated that preliminary findings pointed to driver negligence. He urged private operators to exercise caution in driver selection and stressed that strict action must follow in cases of reckless driving. “Operators must take full responsibility during such incidents and support the victims,” he said.
According to the minister, six passengers from Telangana were among the deceased. Ten others escaped the fire, while several injured victims were under treatment. He confirmed their condition was stable. He added that the severity of the incident could have been reduced if the driver had stopped the bus immediately after the collision.
The incident occurred early Friday morning when the Hyderabad-bound Kaveri Travels bus collided with a bike near Chinnatekur on the Kurnool outskirts. The collision led to a massive fire that claimed 21 lives. Four more passengers remained in critical condition.