Three people were killed early Thursday after a private bus caught fire following a collision with a container lorry in Nandyal district, police said.

The accident took place around 1:30 am. Police said the bus was travelling from Nellore to Hyderabad when its right-side tyre suddenly burst. Due to the burst, the driver lost control of the vehicle.

The bus jumped over the road divider and crashed into a container lorry coming from the opposite direction. The lorry was carrying motorcycles.

The impact of the collision caused both the bus and the container lorry to catch fire. Local residents, along with the bus cleaner and conductor, broke the bus windows and helped passengers trapped inside to escape.

Fire services and police rushed to the spot and worked for several hours to put out the flames and clear the road. Although the fire was eventually controlled, both vehicles were completely gutted.

The bus driver, the truck driver, and the truck cleaner suffered severe injuries and burns and died at the scene. Their bodies were later shifted to a government hospital for post-mortem examination.

All passengers on the bus survived the incident. Out of the 36 passengers onboard, four suffered minor fractures and were admitted to the Nandyal District Government Hospital.

To escape the fire, some passengers were seen jumping out through the bus windows, police said.

Police have launched an investigation into the incident. Preliminary findings confirmed that the tyre burst caused the driver to lose control, which led to the collision and the fire.

A similar incident was reported in October 2025 in neighbouring Kurnool district, where a bus fire claimed the lives of 20 passengers.

The latest accident has once again drawn attention to road safety concerns, especially involving private buses during night travel.