44 charred to death as bus catches fire in A.P. Wed Oct 30,2013

Forty-four passengers were charred to death in an accident near Kothakota in Mahabubnagar district, 130 km from Hyderabad, when a private passenger bus from Bangalore went in flames in the early hours on Wednesday Oct 30,2013

The Volvo bus operated by Jabbar Travels was on its way to Hyderabad with carrying of 51 passengers, including two crew members.

 Five passengers, the driver and another crew member escaped from the inferno while the rest were charred to death 

Fuel leak caused fire?

Police inferred from the evidences available on the spot that the vehicle hit a culvert while overtaking a car impacting the fuel tank on the right side. The tank burst into flames and soon engulfed the entire bus leaving no chance for the inmates to escape.

All the passengers rushed to the rear part of the bus indicating that the flames started in the front and spread to the back.

But, they could not succeed in creating an opening due to exhaustion caused by shortage of oxygen and pungent fumes from the burning air-conditioners.