A horrific bus fire early this morning on National Highway 44 has claimed the lives of 19 passengers traveling from Hyderabad to Bengaluru. Survivors, many of whom were jolted awake by the chaos, described a terrifying escape, forced to smash windows after the main exit door was found to be locked or jammed.

The private luxury sleeper bus, carrying around 40 people, caught fire near Ullindakonda in Kurnool district after colliding with a two-wheeler, which is suspected to have triggered the blaze.

Passengers Trapped As Fire Spreads

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The accident occurred between 3:00 am and 3:30 am, when most passengers were in deep sleep, complicating any attempt at a quick evacuation.

Survivor Harika recounted the terrifying moment she woke up to find the vehicle en

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