A tragic bus accident in Andhra Pradesh’s Kurnool district has claimed 20 lives, with investigations revealing a surprising connection to Odisha’s Rayagada district.
The ill-fated AC sleeper bus, operated by Kaveri Travels and travelling from Hyderabad to Bengaluru, burst into flames after colliding with a motorcycle near Chinnatekuru on Friday. The fire, triggered by a fuel leak, engulfed the vehicle rapidly, leaving survivors to smash windows and jump to safety.
According to local authorities, the bus was carrying 41 passengers, including two drivers. While some managed to escape by breaking windows, those unable to flee perished in the blaze. Firefighters and police arrived at the scene to conduct rescue operations, but the bus was completely gutted by the time the flames were extinguished.
The incident has sparked scrutiny over the bus’s registration history. Originally registered in Telangana with the number DD-01-N-9490, the vehicle was re-registered in the Union Territory of Daman and Diu in August 2018. In a puzzling move, it was re-registered again in April 2025 at the Rayagada Regional Transport Office (RTO) in Odisha after obtaining an online No Objection Certificate (NOC) from Daman and Diu.
Rayagada RTO officials confirmed that the bus held a valid tourist permit from 2025 to 2030, an All India Permit valid until July 31, 2026 (issued by the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways), a fitness certificate until 2027, and road tax paid until March 2026. All documents were submitted online for the re-registration process, as stated by Rayagada Regional Transport Officer Binay Kumar Pal.
The bus belongs to Vemuri Kaveri Travels and was operated by Vemuri Vinod Kumar, a resident of Rayagada, who submitted an affidavit confirming his Odisha residency to facilitate the process. However, suspicions have arisen that the re-registration in Odisha was an attempt to evade higher road taxes in neighbouring Andhra Pradesh. Andhra Pradesh police are also probing whether the bus, which held a tourist permit, was illegally operating as a regular passenger service.
Transport officials from both states are jointly investigating the reasons behind the vehicle’s three registrations. The accident has raised broader questions about regulatory loopholes in vehicle re-registration across states and the potential risks to passenger safety.
As rescue efforts conclude and families mourn their losses, authorities emphasise the need for stricter enforcement of vehicle standards to prevent such tragedies in the future.
