Markapuram bus fire: Telangana sets up control rooms as victims traced to families in Andhra

In the aftermath of a massive bus fire that killed at least 14 people, authorities in Telangana have set up control rooms in Nirmal and Jagtial districts to assist victims and their families, who were travelling from these regions when the tragedy struck.

The incident was reported in the early hours of Thursday (March 26, 2026) morning in Andhra Pradesh’s Markapuram district, when a lorry rammed into a private passenger bus, triggering a massive blaze that rapidly engulfed both vehicles.

According to Nirmal Superintendent of Police G. Janaki Sharmila, a total of 45 passengers, including 15 women, were on board the bus operated by Harikrishna Travels, which was travelling from Nirmal in Telangana to Nellore district. As of 8.40 a.m., officials had recovered 14 bodies from the charred remains.

Preliminary investigations indicate that all the passengers were natives of Andhra Pradesh and were working as masons in various parts of Telangana. Police said that four of them had boarded the bus from Nirmal on Wednesday night, while the remaining passengers were from Jagtial district.

Officials further noted that the victims’ families are based in Andhra Pradesh, and that the travel bookings were also made from there, pointing to a group movement of workers returning home.

Authorities in Nirmal are now coordinating closely with police in Ongole to facilitate assistance for the injured and ensure timely support for bereaved families, even as efforts continue to establish the full circumstances leading to the crash.