The Kurnool bus fire that claimed 20 lives last Friday, while travelling from Hyderabad to Bengaluru, has become a centre of debate on social media. A bike collided with the bus, causing a massive fire to break out. Hyderabad Police Commissioner VC Sajjanar has criticised this incident and taken it to social media.
His post on X(formerly Twitter) has garnered almost 23 thousand views. "Drunk drivers are terrorists. Period. Drunk drivers are terrorists, and their actions are nothing short of acts of terror on our roads," he wrote. Sajjanar added that the Kurnool accident was not exactly an accident in the truest sense.
Commissioner Sajjanar called the incident a "criminal act of negligence that annihilated entire families within seconds," as the biker, identified as B. Shiva Shankar, was under the influence. He also wrote in his post, "It was a preventable massacre, caused by the reckless and irresponsible behaviour of an intoxicated biker. This was not a road mishap..."
The post also noted that the biker was seen refuelling his bike at 2:24 a.m. in CCTV footage. While he could not find anyone at the petrol pump, he dragged his bike around and got out of there. About fifteen minutes later, he lost control of his bike, causing the devastating collision around 2:39 a.m., triggering an explosion that set the vehicle ablaze.
The commissioner reiterated that, "I stand firmly by my statement that DRUNK DRIVERS ARE TERRORISTS in every sense. They destroy lives, families, and futures. Such acts will never be tolerated."
In Hyderabad, the authorities are taking a "zero-tolerance" stance against drunk driving, and the violators will face the "full force of law," he warned. No leniency, no exceptions, and no mercy will be shown to those who will put others' lives in danger. This is a form of crime, and the criminals must be punished accordingly, he added.
