Kurnool (Andhra Pradesh), Oct 25 (IANS) The motorcycle, which became the cause of the deadly bus fire that killed 19 passengers, was lying on the road as the man riding it and the pillion-rider had met with an accident before the bus passed through the spot, police said on Saturday.

The police concluded after questioning Erriswamy alias Nani, the pillion rider who had fled the scene after surviving the crash with minor injuries.

Shiva Shankar, who was riding the bike, died on the spot after the two-wheeler skidded and rammed into the road divider.

Kurnool district Superintendent of Police Vikrant Patil said Erriswamy told the police that he pulled Shiva Shankar to the roadside and was about to move the bike lying in the middle of the road when the speeding bus hit the bike and dragged it some distance.

As the fire engulfed the bus, he panicked and fled the scene and went to his native village, Tuggali.

Police identified Erriswamy after scanning the CCTV footage from a petrol pump, where the duo refuelled the bike around 2.24 a.m. The footage indicates that Shiva Shankar was under the influence of alcohol, and at one point, it appeared that the bike may skid.

The two friends had left Lakshmipuram village around 2 a.m. on a Pulsar bike for Dhone town in Nandyal district. After refuelling the bike, when they reached Chinnatekur on the outskirts of Kurnool, Shiva Shankar lost control of the bike and hit the divider. Shiva Shankar died on the spot, while Erriswamy escaped with minor injuries.

The private bus, which was carrying 44 passengers and was on its way to Bengaluru from Hyderabad, met with the ghastly accident near Chinnatekur village on the outskirts of Kurnool between 3-3.15 a.m.

While 19 passengers, including two children, were charred to death, 27 passengers, including both drivers, escaped by breaking glass windows.

Preliminary investigation suggests that as the motorcycle got stuck under the bus’s belly, the friction and fuel leakage from the bike ignited the massive fire.

However, the cause of the accident had remained a mystery. Shiva Shankar’s body was found about 200 metres away from the spot where the bus caught fire. It was not clear if the bus hit the motorcycle or the motorcycle rammed into the bus.

Police had taken both bus drivers into custody. The bus driver who was at the wheel had told police that the motorcycle was lying on the road and that the bus had hit and dragged it some distance.

Erriswamy’s statement has validated the bus driver’s statement. The driver apparently failed to notice the motorcycle lying on the road due to the darkness.

The bus driver, however, is facing charges of negligent driving leading to the huge tragedy. The police were continuing the investigation to ascertain if the bus was being driven at a very high speed.

–IANS

ms/dan