A bus fire that killed at least 20 people in southern India was reportedly intensified by hundreds of smartphones being onboard, local reports say, citing forensics officials.
Flames rapidly engulfed the Bangalore-bound bus after it collided with a motorcycle that ruptured its fuel tank and triggered an explosion early on Friday. Witnesses reported that around 40 passengers struggled to escape as locals rushed to pull out survivors.
Forensic experts indicated that the bus was carrying a shipment of 234 mobile phones, and that the lithium-ion batteries they contained likely exacerbated the fire once they ruptured. Kurnool Superintendent of Police, Vikrant Patel, stated, The bus batteries, presence of flammable furnishings in the bus and the cargo consisting of cell phones aggravated the fire leading to the tragic event.
Additionally, P Venkataraman, director-general of the Andhra Pradesh Fire Services Department, noted that batteries used for the air conditioning system of the bus exploded, further compounding the fire's severity. We saw bones and ash dropping through the melted sheets, he shared.
The smartphones were valued at 4.6 million Indian rupees (approximately £39,361; $52,377) and were en route from Hyderabad to an e-commerce company in Bengaluru. The nature of lithium-ion batteries makes them a fire risk when damaged, as they can undergo thermal runaway—a condition of uncontrolled temperature increases difficult to manage with standard firefighting techniques.
In the aftermath, authorities launched an investigation into potential negligent driving linked to the crash, with reports indicating that the bus driver fled the scene, while the motorcyclist was among the deceased. Buses are a prevalent mode of transportation in India, yet operators often overlook safety regulations and overcrowd vehicles, contributing to the nation’s status of having the highest road accident death toll globally last year.
