Overview
- The private travel bus, which rammed a gravel tipper near Rayavaram on Thursday morning, hit the truck’s diesel tank and burst into flames that killed 14 people and injured 28 of the 41 onboard.
- Andhra Pradesh police arrested bus owner Harikrishna Reddy and driver Yuvaraju in the case after the driver fled the scene and was caught near Pamuru mandal at Kanigiri for questioning.
- Samples from 14 bodies are at the Forensic Science Laboratory in Vijayawada, with officers saying DNA matches expected by Friday afternoon will allow them to name the dead and return remains.
- Investigators are examining reports that the bus veered into the wrong lane after a handover only about 30 minutes earlier while the other driver had driven through the night.
- The bus was traveling from Jagityal in Telangana to Kaligiri in Nellore district, and officials said severe burns prevent visual identification, so DNA results are key to giving families certainty.