Hours after the horrific Kurnool bus fire that claimed 20 lives, new CCTV footage has surfaced suggesting that the biker involved in the collision may have been under the influence of alcohol. The video, which has gone viral on social media, shows 22-year-old Bucchalu Shiva Shankar, a resident of B Thandrapadu village in Kurnool district, arriving at a petrol pump around 2:20 am with a pillion rider.
CCTV Video Of Biker Before Crash
The pillion dismounted and walked toward the attendant, while Shiva Shankar appeared unsteady, struggling to balance his motorcycle and swerving as he exited the pump. His erratic movement has led authorities to suspect possible intoxication.
Minutes later, Shiva Shankar’s motorcycle collided with a private luxury bus operated by V Kaveri Travels on NH-44, as per a report on NDTV. The impact proved fatal for the biker, who died on the spot. His motorcycle, with its fuel cap open, was dragged for nearly 200 metres beneath the bus, generating sparks and causing a massive fire that engulfed the vehicle. Preliminary forensic reports suggest that the friction and leaking fuel were the primary triggers of the blaze, reported News18.
The CCTV video of the biker who is involved in #Kurnool #BusAccident 😔
Looks like #drunk 😶
Reason for 19 #innocent 😥 lifes 😫#FireAccident #BusAccident#Hyderabad #bangalore pic.twitter.com/VnED4tEtKT
— cherry_Vibes😎 (@CAdusumall41381) October 25, 2025
The pillion rider has been taken into custody for questioning as police attempt to reconstruct the sequence of events. Forensic teams have also sent viscera samples of the deceased biker for examination to determine whether he had consumed alcohol — a finding that could critically influence the ongoing investigation into alleged negligence by the bus drivers.
Kurnool Bus Fire
The bus, traveling from Hyderabad to Bengaluru, was carrying 46 passengers when the accident occurred between 3:00 and 3:30 am near Ullindakonda. Nineteen passengers, many of them asleep, were trapped and burned alive, while 27 others escaped by breaking windows and jumping from the flames.
The intensity of the blaze left most victims charred beyond recognition, prompting authorities to collect DNA samples for identification. Telangana Minister Jupally Krishna Rao has blamed the bus driver and travel agency for negligence. Both drivers, Laxmaiah and Siva Narayana, have been arrested and charged under sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) for causing death by negligence.
