A bus fire that killed at least 20 people in southern India was aggravated by the hundreds of smartphones on board, local media said, citing forensic officials.
A Bangalore-bound bus quickly burst into flames on Friday morning after colliding with a motorcycle, which ruptured its fuel tank and caused an explosion.
Witnesses said about 40 passengers struggled to escape as locals rushed to pull out survivors.
Forensic experts told local media that the bus was carrying 234 mobile phones and that the fire may have worsened as lithium-ion batteries ruptured.
CNN News18 quoted Kurnool police chief Vikrant Patel as saying, “The cargo consisting of the bus battery, flammable furniture in the bus and mobile phones aggravated the fire, leading to the tragic incident.”
Meanwhile, Andhra Pradesh state fire chief P Venkataraman said the electric battery used in the bus’ air-conditioning system also exploded, further worsening the fire.
“I saw bones and ash falling through the melted sheets,” he told local media.
According to the NDTV broadcast, the smartphone was priced at 4.6 million Indian rupees (£39,361, $52,377) and was being shipped from Hyderabad to an e-commerce company in Bengaluru.
Most smartphones are equipped with lithium-ion batteries, which can pose a fire hazard if damaged.
This is because you may experience thermal runaway, which is an uncontrollable increase in temperature. This is a phenomenon that is difficult to prevent using existing firefighting methods. It may also spread to other batteries nearby.
Authorities have begun an investigation into possible impaired driving involved in the accident. The bus driver fled the scene. It is reported that the motorcyclist was among the dead.
Buses are a common mode of transportation in India, but drivers often ignore safety rules and overcrowd vehicles. Last year, India had the highest road accident death toll in the world.
