Kaveri Travels Closes Hyderabad Offices After Kurnool Bus Fire
Vemuri Kaveri Travels has come under severe criticism for its lack of response following a fatal fire on one of its buses traveling from Hyderabad to Bengaluru, which claimed at least 20 lives.
Reports indicate that the private travel company has closed all its Hyderabad offices in the aftermath of the accident.
The Volvo bus, registered in Odisha’s Rayagada district, was carrying 41 passengers when it caught fire near Chinnatekur village in Kallur mandal, Kurnool district.
Kurnool District Collector A Siri stated that the accident occurred between 3 am and 3:10 am, when most passengers were asleep. The bus collided with a motorcycle, resulting in a fuel leak and subsequently the fatal fire.
Shocking images show the bus was completely engulfed in flames, leaving only its skeletal frame after the blaze was extinguished.
Kaveri Travels Bus Had 16 Pending Challans For Dangerous Driving, Overspeeding
An investigation revealed that the bus, operated by V Kaveri Travels, had 16 pending challans totaling Rs 23,000. Most of these were issued for traffic violations, highlighting the management’s apparent failure to ensure that drivers adhered to rules. The bus had also faced penalties for dangerous driving and overspeeding on multiple occasions.
The Bharat Stage III vehicle, numbered DD01N9490, was seven years and two months old. It was registered on August 8, 2017, and had a fitness certificate valid until March 31, 2027. Transport Commissioner Manish Kumar Sinha confirmed that ownership transfer, registration, permit validity, fitness certification, tax payments, and insurance were all current and valid.
The Odisha Transport Department had issued a tourist permit valid from May 1, 2025, to April 30, 2030, authorizing the vehicle to operate as a tourist bus within the state. The Ministry of Road Transport and Highways had issued an All-India Tourist Permit (AITP) for the bus, valid from August 1, 2025, to July 31, 2026, allowing it to operate nationwide during this period. The fitness certificate was issued by authorities in Silvassa, Daman and Diu, valid till March 31, 2027; road tax was paid till March 31, 2026; and insurance was valid until April 20, 2026.
Officials have so far recovered 19 bodies. A forensic team is examining the accident site and the vehicle in detail to determine the exact cause of the fire and the sequence of events leading to the tragedy. Meanwhile, police are investigating whether driver negligence and speeding contributed to the accident.
