India, Oct. 26 -- In a new twist to the horrific bus fire on National Highway 44 (NH-44) near Andhra Pradesh's Kurnool town that claimed 19 lives in the early hours of Friday, investigations by the police revealed that the bus did not ram into a moving motorcycle, but ran over a bike lying on the highway after a road accident, police officials said.

Kurnool district superintendent of police Vikrant Patil said on Saturday that Panchala Shiva Shankar (20) and his friend Erriswamy, both residents of Lakshmipuram village, set out towards Tuggali after midnight, around 2 AM. On the way, at 2.24 AM, they stopped at a petrol pump and refuelled their Pulsar bike with Rs.300 worth of petrol.

"Soon after resuming their journey, on National Highwa...