Kurnool bus tragedy: Second driver saves lives, now under police scanner for conflicting statements

In the haunting aftermath of the Kurnool bus inferno that claimed 20 lives, one man has emerged as both rescuer and suspect — 30-year-old Siva Narayana, the second driver of the ill-fated Bengaluru–Hyderabad AC sleeper bus.

Initially celebrated as a hero for breaking open windows and pulling trapped passengers to safety, Siva now finds himself in police custody, accused of shifting statements about what exactly unfolded on that rain-soaked highway at 3 a.m. on October 24.

From savior to suspect

Siva was not at the wheel when tragedy struck — that was Lakshmaiah, the main driver, who fled the scene soon after the collision. According to Siva, he was asleep when the bus hit a motorcycle and dragged it underneath, rupturing its fuel tank and sparking the fire that engulfed the vehicle within minutes.

“It was raining heavily and visibility was near zero. The bus hit a bike and dragged it under, but the driver didn’t notice,” Siva said. “When I woke up, there was smoke everywhere, and the doors were jammed. I found a rod, broke open the windows, and pulled people out.”

Witnesses and survivors corroborated his account of bravery. “The first person to help me was a young man. Later I realized he was one of the drivers,” said survivor Subramaniam.

The narrative shifts

But the narrative soon began to unravel. Police said Siva initially told them that Lakshmaiah had woken him up after the collision and that they later discovered the motorcycle trapped under the bus. Later, investigators allege, his statement changed — claiming the motorcycle and its rider were already lying on the road after a previous accident, and that Lakshmaiah unknowingly drove over them.

Officers from both Andhra Pradesh and Telangana now suspect Siva may have been “tutored” — coached by the bus owners to mislead the investigation.

“Owners of travel companies often instruct drivers on what to tell police to shield themselves from liability,” an investigating officer said.

State questions role of travel operators

The Andhra Pradesh government echoed that suspicion, suggesting a systemic issue in the private transport sector.

“When these late-night luxury buses meet with accidents, the drivers first call their owners — not police or fire services,” said state Transport Minister M. Ramprasad Reddy. “The owner tells them what to say. The driver of this bus, who fled while his passengers burned, must be a savage.”

Investigators believe the bus dragged the motorcycle nearly 300 metres, generating friction that likely caused the fatal explosion. “The fire spread in under two minutes,” an officer noted. “There was barely any time for passengers to escape.”

As the probe deepens, the line between heroism and culpability blurs — leaving behind not only the charred wreckage of a bus, but also of truth, accountability, and trust on India’s night highways.