‘Drunk drivers are terrorists,’ says Hyderabad top cop after Kurnool bus fire killed 20

Hyderabad Police Commissioner, VC Sajjanar has condemned drunk driving in a stark message, calling it an act of “terror” and saying, “Drunk drivers are terrorists” after 20 people died in the horrific Kurnool bus fire. “Drunk drivers are terrorists. Period. Drunk drivers are terrorists and their actions are nothing short of acts of terror on our roads. The horrific Kurnool bus accident, which claimed the lives of 20 innocent people, was not an accident in the truest sense. It was a preventable massacre, caused by the reckless and irresponsible behaviour of an intoxicated biker,” Sajjanar posted on X.

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Innocent passengers were charred to death when a private sleeper bus travelling from Hyderabad to Bengaluru caught fire. The tragedy sparked anger among the locals and investigators alike. The bus had hit a motorcycle lying on National Highway 44 (NH-44) near Kurnool when the Vemuri Kaveri Travels bus arrived. The bike got stuck under the bus and was dragged along the road where fuel has spilled, igniting sparks and resulting in a fire that soon engulfed the entire bus.

According to police, the biker, Panchala Shiva Shankar, 20, of Lakshmipuram village, and his friend Yerriswamy were returning to Tuggali around 2 am after refuelling their motorbike at a nearby fuel station.

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Yerriswami, who was riding pillion on the bike and escaped with minor injuries, admitted that he and Shiva Shankar had consumed alcohol. Their bike hit a divider, which resulted in Shiva Shankar’s death on the spot.

He was reportedly dragging the body away from the road and planned to move the bike as well, but the bus ran over it in the meantime.

The top cop called the incident “a criminal act of negligence that annihilated entire families.”

“I stand firmly by my statement that DRUNK DRIVERS ARE TERRORISTS in every sense. They destroy lives, families, and futures. Such acts will never be tolerated.”

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Sajjanar reiterated his department’s stance on road safety and said Hyderabad Police will show “no mercy” to anyone found driving under the influence.

“Every single person caught driving under the influence will face the full force of law. There will be no leniency, no exceptions, and no mercy for those who endanger innocent lives.”

“It’s time we, as a society, stop calling drunk driving a mistake. It is a crime that shatters lives, and must be punished accordingly,” he said.