Andhra bus fire mishap: All 19 bodies identified, handed over to families after DNA tests

All 19 bodies of the victims who died in the private travel bus fire accident in Kurnool district have been handed over to their respective families after completion of DNA profiling in Vijayawada, an official said on Monday. As many as 19 passengers were charred to death in the early hours of Friday after the bus collided with a two-wheeler at Chinnatekuru village in Kallur mandal. The bus was carrying 44 passengers, several of whom managed to escape the blaze. DNA samples were collected from all victims and kept in cold storage to ensure proper preservation until they reached the Forensic Sciences Laboratory (FSL) in Vijayawada, the official said. "All 19 bodies have been handed over after the completion of the formalities," Kurnool district Revenue Divisional Officer Sandeep Kumar told reporters. The family members of victims from Bihar and Tamil Nadu decided to cremate the bodies in Andhra Pradesh, for which the state government made necessary arrangements, he said. Meanwhile, the Telangana government has already started distributing the announced ex-gratia, while Andhra Pradesh is in the process of doing the same, the official added.