A bus fire that killed at least 20 people in southern India was intensified by hundreds of smartphones being onboard, local reports say, citing forensics officials.
Flames rapidly engulfed the Bangalore-bound bus after it collided with a motorcycle that ruptured its fuel tank and triggered an explosion early on Friday.
Eyewitnesses said the approximately 40 passengers had struggled to escape as locals rushed to pull out survivors.
Forensic experts have now told local media that the bus had been carrying a shipment of 234 mobile phones, and that the lithium-ion batteries they contained likely exacerbated the fire once they ruptured.
The Kurnool Superintendent of Police, Vikrant Patel, explained, The bus batteries, presence of flammable furnishings in the bus and the cargo consisting of cell phones aggravated the fire leading to the tragic event.
P Venkataraman, the director-general of the Andhra Pradesh Fire Services Department, added that electrical batteries used for the air conditioning system also exploded and worsened the blaze. He described seeing bones and ash dropping through the melted sheets.
The smartphones, valued at approximately ₹4.6 million (around $52,377), were being shipped from Hyderabad to an e-commerce company in Bengaluru. Most smartphones use lithium-ion batteries, known for posing fire risks when damaged due to their potential for thermal runaway, which is difficult to control.
Authorities have initiated an investigation into possible negligent driving, noting that the bus driver fled the scene, and the motorcyclist involved is among the deceased. Buses are a common but often overcrowded mode of public transport in India, where road safety regulations are frequently overlooked, contributing to a high traffic accident death toll.
