India, Oct. 25 -- Several passengers who narrowly escaped the devastating fire in a sleeper bus heading from Hyderabad to Bengaluru early on Friday narrated harrowing details of the incident.

Twenty people were killed and 20 others injured when the bus went up in flames after hitting a motorcycle on the outskirts of Kurnool district in Andhra Pradesh, said police.

"I boarded the bus at Nampally in Hyderabad to return to Bengaluru after Diwali. I was in a deep sleep when I suddenly heard a loud noise at around 3.30am. I noticed flames all around me and everybody was crying for help. I smashed the window adjacent to my berth and jumped out. Two others managed to escape with me," said 31-year-old Aakash, a techie from Bengaluru.

Another s...