A chilling new detail has emerged in the Kurnool bus fire tragedy in Andhra Pradesh, which claimed 19 lives. Investigators have found that 234 smartphones worth ₹46 lakh were being transported inside the ill-fated bus when it caught fire in the early hours of Friday. Forensic experts now suggest that the explosion of these smartphone batteries significantly worsened the intensity of the flames that engulfed the vehicle.

According to officials, the consignment was being shipped by a Hyderabad-based businessman named Manganath and was destined for Flipkart’s Bengaluru hub, from where the devices were to be distributed to customers. Eyewitnesses recalled hearing multiple small explosions as the fire spread, believed to be caused by the bursting of lithium-ion batteries inside the smartphones.

Director-General of Andhra Pradesh Fire Services P. Venkataraman revealed that the initial blaze began due to a fuel leak in the front section of the bus after it collided with a two-wheeler. The leaked petrol reportedly caught fire after coming into contact with a spark or engine heat, which quickly led to the entire bus being engulfed in flames. In addition to smartphones, the air-conditioning system’s electrical batteries also exploded, worsening the fire.

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“The heat was so extreme that it melted the aluminium sheets on the bus floor,” Venkataraman said, describing scenes of devastation where “bones and ash were dropping through the melted sheets.” Investigators added that the bus’s lightweight aluminium structure, designed to increase speed and fuel efficiency, tragically made the vehicle more vulnerable during the inferno.

The revelations have further intensified the spotlight on passenger transport safety standards in the country, with experts urging stricter regulations on flammable cargo movement in passenger buses and the materials used in vehicle construction.

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