Deeply tragic and painful: LoP Gandhi, Cong chief Kharge express grief over Kurnool bus fire tragedy

New Delhi, Oct 24 (IANS) Leader of the Opposition (LoP) in the Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, on Friday expressed his deepest condolences to the families of passengers who lost their lives in the horrific bus fire on the Hyderabad–Bengaluru Highway in Kurnool, Andhra Pradesh. Calling the incident “deeply tragic and painful,” he urged for stronger measures to ensure passenger safety. Congress National President Mallikarjun Kharge also took to his social media to express grief on the death of 11 passengers in the blaze.

LoP Gandhi took to social media platform X and wrote, “The loss of many innocent lives in the horrific bus fire accident on the Hyderabad–Bengaluru Highway in Kurnool, Andhra Pradesh, is deeply tragic and painful.”

“I express my deepest condolences to the bereaved families of all the passengers who lost their lives in this tragedy and hope for the speedy recovery of the injured,” he added.

Highlighting the need for stricter safety measures, LoP Gandhi said, “Recurrent accidents like these raise serious questions about the safety of our public transport systems. Passenger safety must be a top priority, and accountability must be ensured for such incidents, including responsibility for vehicle maintenance.”

Congress National President Mallikarjun Kharge also took to his social media and said, “The tragic incident of a bus catching fire on the Hyderabad–Bengaluru highway in Kurnool, Andhra Pradesh, resulting in the loss of many precious lives, is profoundly distressing. I extend my heartfelt condolences to the bereaved families of all the passengers who lost their lives in this tragedy and wish a swift recovery to those injured. It is imperative to ensure accountability for these unfortunate recurring incidents.”

Telugu Desam Party leader Nara Lokesh also expressed grief over the tragedy, saying, “The news of the devastating bus fire accident near Chinna Tekur village in Kurnool district is heartbreaking. I extend my deepest sympathies to the families who have lost their loved ones and wish a speedy recovery to those injured.”

Earlier, President Droupadi Murmu and Vice President C.P. Radhakrishnan expressed deep grief over the tragic bus fire in Kurnool district of Andhra Pradesh, which claimed 11 lives. Both leaders termed the incident “deeply unfortunate” and extended condolences to the bereaved families.

President Murmu, in a post on social media platform X, wrote, “The loss of lives in a tragic bus fire accident in Kurnool, Andhra Pradesh is deeply unfortunate. I extend my heartfelt condolences to the bereaved family members and pray for the speedy recovery of those injured.”

Vice President Radhakrishnan also shared his condolences on X, saying, “Deeply saddened by the tragic bus fire accident in Kurnool district, Andhra Pradesh. Heartfelt condolences to the bereaved families and prayers for the speedy recovery of the injured.”

The horrific accident occurred near Chinnatekur in Kallur mandal of Kurnool district when a private Volvo bus caught fire, leading to a significant loss of life. The bus was travelling from Bengaluru to Hyderabad when it caught fire after hitting a two-wheeler.

According to preliminary reports, around 40 passengers were on board the bus at the time of the incident. Twelve passengers reportedly managed to escape with minor injuries after breaking open the emergency exit, but the bus was completely gutted in the blaze.

–IANS

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