Andhra bus fire caused due to…, how did over 230 smartphones intensify the deadly flames?
Kurnool Bus Fire: Amid the ongoing investigation in the Kurnool bus fire case, a new development has come to light. The latest findings revealed that a consignment of 234 smartphones was kept inside the bus that caught fire and exploded when the tragic accident took place on Friday morning. As per the forensic experts, the batteries of the smartphones exploded after catching fire, contributing to the intensity of the blaze that killed 19 passengers.
How Did 234 Smartphones Come Into The Bus?
The 234 phones, worth Rs 46 lakh, were shipped as a parcel by Manganath, a Hyderabad-based businessman. The shipment was intended for the e-commerce company located in Bengaluru. The Bengaluru-based company, which would distribute the phones to customers.
Who Heard Battery Explosions?
Eyewitnesses stated that they heard the explosion of the batteries after the phones caught fire.
What Was The Cause Of Initial Blaze?
As per P Venkataraman, director-general of the Andhra Pradesh Fire Services Department, apart from phone batteries explosion, the electrical batteries used for the bus’s AC system also burst. The flames were to intense that it melted the aluminium sheets on the bus floor.
Venkataraman stated that the initial fire is believed to have started in the front section of the bus due to a fuel leakage.
When the collision happened, the bike got stuck under the bus, resulting petrol leakage, combined with the spark, ignited the fire, which quickly reduced the bus to ashes.
“We saw bones and ash dropping through the melted sheets,” Venkataramana said.
The director-general of the Andhra Pradesh Fire Services Department also highlighted the structural flaw in the construction of the commercial bus.
The decision to use lightweight aluminium in place of iron, a strategy used to decrease vehicle weight and enhance speed, has negative consequences during an emergency. It worsens the severity of the accident.
(Note: This is a developing story and further details will be added.)
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