Andhra bus mishap: Owner,driver tried to mislead police

Driver may have fallen asleep behind wheel,say police.

The owner and driver of the Volvo bus that caught fire,killing 45 people in Mahbubnagar district of Andhra Pradesh on Wednesday morning,conspired to mislead police by first claiming that the mishap occurred due to rash driving of a car that the bus was overtaking at that time.

When Shakeel Jabbar,owner of Jabbar Travels that ran the bus,realised that the occupants of the car could be questioned by police,he advised driver Feroz Mohammed to retract his statement and tell police that a tyre burst caused the accident. He knew this could not be verified as the entire bus,including the tyres,had been reduced to ashes.

After escaping from the burning bus,the driver immediately called up Jabbar in Bangalore who advised him over phone what to tell the police.

All this has come out in the police investigation into the accident. Eyewitnesses also told the police that the fire started from the front portion of the bus and that the drivers cabin and seats behind it were on fire first and not from the side where the fuel tank was located.

We questioned the occupants of the car. They said the bus overtook them at least 5 to 6 km from the accident spot. In fact,M Raj Kiran,the car owner,and his friend Rajesh Kumar,who was driving,were the first to reach the spot a few minutes later. It was they who called the 108 ambulance service and informed the police, said investigation officer and Kothakota Circle Inspector P Venkateshwarlu on Friday. The two also waited till the police arrived and gave their statements.

The bus driver kept changing his statement. First,he said he crashed into the culvert because of the car he was overtaking. When confronted that he had already overtaken that car a few minutes earlier,he changed the statement and said that the front tyre burst and he lost control. I think he was being advised by his owner with whom he was constantly in touch. We believe he dozed off for a few seconds and crashed the bus, the officer said.

Police have already arrested driver and the owner of Jabbar Travels.

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When contacted by The Indian Express,Raj Kiran,said,This bus had overtaken us five or six minutes earlier. After driving for about 5 km we came across the same bus,and wondered why it had stopped in the middle of the highway. From behind the bus,we did not see any fire or smoke. It was only when we crossed it that we saw the fire in the front portion and the drivers cabin. By that time the driver,his assistant,and three or four passengers were already out of the bus and screaming for help.

We parked the car a little away and I and my friend tried to help the people who were screaming inside. The fire was spreading fast and there were sparks and small explosions from electricals. The fire was so intense we could not do anything.

Raj Kiran was on his way to Hyderabad that night for an appointment with his doctor.