Probe points to explosion of over 400 mobiles illegally kept in luggage unit

8 Originally a 43-seater, the bus had been illegally modified into a sleeper coach8 Bus operated by driver with fake heavy vehicle licence8 It was illegally carrying commercial cargo in violation of transport regulations

Amaravati: Shocking details have emerged from investigations by forensic teams into Friday’s Kurnool bus fire mishap near Chinnatekur that claimed 19 lives.

Probe teams have concluded that the explosions of batteries of a consignment of mobile phones kept in the luggage cabin aggravated the blaze that engulfed the bus in no time.

Investigators confirmed that the fire began when the bus hit a two-wheeler, rupturing its fuel tank and sparking a blaze that spread to the luggage compartment. Inside the luggage unit, there were illegally placed parcels containing more than