A private travel bus carrying 36 passengers from Hyderabad to Tirupati suddenly caught fire and was completely gutted near Rajupalem in Ulavapadu mandal of Prakasam district on the Kolkata–Chennai National Highway in the early hours of Friday (May 15).
| Photo Credit: KOMMURI SRINIVAS
A private bus travelling from Hyderabad to Tirupati on the Kolkata–Chennai National Highway was gutted in a fire near Rajupalem in Ulavapadu mandal of Prakasam district during the early hours of Friday (May 15). All 37 persons in the bus, including two drivers, escaped safely through the windows and the main door without any injuries.
According to the police, the incident happened at Bheemavaram Cross Roads at around 3 a.m. As per the initial report, one of the rear tyres on the right-side of the bus got stuck and the bus reportedly caught fire due to the friction. However, the actual cause of fire is yet to be ascertained.
A private travel bus carrying 36 passengers from Hyderabad to Tirupati suddenly caught fire and was completely gutted near Rajupalem in Ulavapadu mandal of Prakasam district on the Kolkata–Chennai National Highway in the early hours of Friday (May 15).
| Photo Credit:
KOMMURI SRINIVAS
The passengers were immediately alerted by the driver and the cleaner. With their support, all the passengers along with and their luggage came out of the bus, while some of them broke the windows to escape. Meanwhile, the Fire department staff arrived and controlled the fire. Investigation is on.
Published – May 15, 2026 03:35 pm IST
