Amaravati, Jan 22 (IANS) Three people were killed when a private bus caught fire after colliding with a container lorry in Andhra Pradesh’s Nandyal district in the early hours of Thursday.

The bus lost control after suffering a tyre burst, and after jumping the road divider, collided with a lorry coming from the opposite direction.

The bus, which was en route to Hyderabad from Nellore in Andhra Pradesh, and the container truck carrying motorcycles, caught fire as a result of the collision.

The accident occurred around 2 a.m. near Srivella Metta in Nadyal district.

Police said the drivers of both the vehicles and the cleaner of the lorry were killed. All the passengers survived. Of the 36 passengers onboard, four sustained minor fractures and were admitted to the Nandyal District Government Hospital.

Passersby, the bus cleaner and the bus conductor broke the windows and helped rescue the passengers trapped inside.

In an attempt to save themselves, the passengers were also seen jumping out of the bus windows.

Police and firefighters rushed to the spot and launched a rescue and relief operation. Both vehicles were completely gutted.

The accident caused traffic disruption for several hours. Police deployed cranes to remove the damaged vehicles and restore traffic.

The bus driver, the truck driver and the cleaner were killed due to severe injuries and burns. Their bodies were later shifted to the government hospital for post-mortem examination.

Preliminary investigation by the police revealed that the tyre burst caused the loss of control, leading to the collision and subsequent fire.

In a similar accident in neighbouring Kurnool district in October last year, 19 people were burnt to death when a private bus caught fire after running over a motorbike lying on the road following an accident.

The bus was engulfed in flames after the motorbike was stuck under its belly. The spark and fuel leakage from the bike triggered the massive blaze.

–IANS

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