Amaravati: New details have emerged about the death of Shiva Shankar (22), the biker who was earlier believed to have died after his bike collided with the ill-fated bus travelling from Hyderabad to Bengaluru, which burst into flames, killing 19 passengers on Friday, October 24.
Based on the CCTV footage from a nearby petrol pump, the investigators found out that there was also a pillion-rider who was riding with Shankar before the accident happened. Shankar was seemingly tipsy and was seen riding the bike in a reckless condition.
The Hindu reported that the investigators have found that Nani alias Eriswamy and Shiva Shankar were travelling from Kurnool to Dhone, when the bike skid-off the road on the Hyderabad-Bengaluru highway (NH44).
As per Nani’s submission before the police, Shankar’s head collided with the road when the bike skid and hit the divider, and he died instantly, but the former ended up in the bushes on one side of the road.
He reportedly told the police that after determining that Shankar was already dead, Nani pulled his body away from the road, but couldn’t manage to lift the bike which was on the road.
In the meantime, the V Kaveri bus which was passing from there hit the bike, and dragged it almost 200 metre, causing friction on the road, coupled with the open petrol tank of the bike, that fueled the fire.
All through this, Nani told the investigators that he was there itself till the police and fire fighters arrived, after which he boarded a tractor to reach Tuggali.
The very evening, the investigators reached Tuggali and apprehended Nani, who revealed the facts related to the accident.
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Meanwhile, media has also reported that one of the main cause of the sudden and intense fire erupting in the bus was that a parcel of around 234 cell phones stored inside the luggage cabin burst, leaving very little time for the passengers to escape.
The forensic experts who studied the scene found that the cell phones equipped with lithium batteries played a major role in the fire accident.
Except for passenger luggage, bus operators are not allowed to board any luggage meant for commercial purposes inside the bus. However, the cell phone package was allowed.
The forensic experts felt that when the bus ran over the bike, the friction caused between the road and the luggage cabin located just above it, could have heated the cell phones, and when the fire erupted, the cell phones burst, causing rapid fire to engulf the bus, leaving little time for the passengers to escape, that too when the main door was locked and couldn’t be opened.
An interesting find inside the bus was the charred remains of a person found lying inside the luggage cabin. The investigators were puzzled about how the body got into the luggage cabin.
There are several unanswered questions about the horrific accident, which could only be revealed after a thorough investigation by the officials concerned.
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