India news: Andhra Pradesh bus fire leaves 13 dead

Activists in India are sounding the alarm over the removal of content from social media, especially posts criticizing the government and its stance on the Iran war.

Read DW's full report.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi is slated to hold a meeting on Friday evening with chief ministers of the Indian states to review their preparedness and response plans amid the Israel-Iran war, NDTV and The Times of India reported.

The talks will take place through video conferencing, reports said. 

The preparedness measures of the states, including supply chains, energy security, and the safety of Indian citizens abroad will be discussed, India Today reported. 

Iran's blockade of the key Strait of Hormuz has disrupted global energy supplies.

India, too, is bearing the brunt as it grapples with fears of a fuel shortage. 

On Thursday, the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas said that  India's energy supply is "fully secure and stable".

"Crude oil supplies for next 60 days have already been tied up by Indian Oil companies," it said in a statement, adding that there was no supply gap.

The ministry said that there is no shortage of petrol, diesel, or LPG anywhere in the country and retail outlets are operating normally, with adequate supplies.

The statement comes a day after many Indian states witnessed panic-buying of petrol and diesel at fuel pumps. 

Google's top India counsel, Bijoya Roy, has resigned after being in the role for just 16 months, news agency Reuters reported Thursday, citing two anonymous sources.

Roy ‌put in her papers last month over personal reasons to start her own venture, one of the sources told Reuters.

There have been no immediate comments on the report from Google or Roy and the report could not be verified by DW.

India is a crucial market for Google.

In ⁠October last year, Google announced an investment of $15 billion (€13 billion) over five years ⁠to set ​up an artificial intelligence data centre in southern India's Andhra Pradesh state. 

The move marked the company's biggest ever investment in India.

However, the US tech titan is also mired in regulatory hurdles and antitrust cases in the country. 

The Competition Commission of India (CCI), India's antitrust watchdog,  is probing Google's alleged anti-competitive practices in digital advertising. 

In a previous high-prolife exit Google's head of public policy in India, Sreenivasa Reddy, quit last year.

Reddy was the second person to quit the role in around two years.

The position remains unfilled. 

Millions of Hindus in India are observing the sacred festival of Ram Navami on Thursday.

The festival marks the anniversary of the birth of Lord Ram and is among Hinduism's most auspicious days. 

It is also a public holiday in many states in the country.

Devotees celebrate the festival by observing a fast, lighting ghee (clarified butter) lamps, chanting Ram's name, offering prayers to the deity and taking out religious processions with elaborate tableaus.

In Uttar Pradesh's holy city of Ayodhya, the scenes during the festival are those of spiritual grandeur.

The Ram Temple in the city — believed to be the birthplace of the Hindu god — is decorated with flowers and lights. 

On Thursday, news reports said that large crowds had begun gathering at the temple complex to participate in the celebrations. 

The temple was inaugurated in 2024 by India's Hindu nationalist Prime Minister Narendra Modi. 

The temple site has been a controversial flashpoint as it was built on grounds where the 16th-century Babri Masjid (Mosque of Babur) stood. The mosque was demolished by Hindu mobs in 1992, triggering bloodied riots that left nearly 2,000 people dead.

On Thursday, Modi extended Ram Navami greetings to the nation.

"My heartfelt wish is that by the grace of Lord Rama, the welfare of all may be ensured, paving the way for the fulfilment of the resolve for a developed and self-reliant India," he said. 

Right-wing Hindu outfits have previously used Ram Navami processions to stoke religious polarization. There have been instances of the groups passing through Muslim neighborhoods, waving saffron flags, armed with mace and swords and chanting the slogan of  "Jai Sri Ram." The groups have also made anti-Muslim hate speeches during these processions.

In the state of West Bengal —  where elections are due next month and where tensions have flared during Ram Navami processions in the past — security measures have been bolstered ahead of the celebrations. Some 3,000 police personnel have been deployed across the state and there are restrictions on processions to maintain law and order, news agency PTI reported, citing a senior official. 

The carrying of weapons has been prohibited and the number of participants in a procession are capped at 500, the official told PTI. 

Meanwhile, a massive traffic snarl was reported on Thursday on the Mumbai-Pune Expressway as a beeline of holiday travelers streamed to the key route. 

Footage showed a long queue of vehicles that left commuters stuck for hours. 

India's Consumer Central Protection Authority (CCPA) has issued a warning to hotels and restaurants to not levy any additional charges like gas surcharge, "Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) charges" and "fuel cost recovery," over and above the final price of food as India faces a fuel crisis amid the Iran war. 

The consumer watchdog deemed the additional charges as "unfair trade practices." It added that strict action will be taken against establishments found levying such costs. 

"The CCPA has observed, based on grievances received on the National Consumer Helpline (NCH), and media reports, that certain hotels and restaurants are levying such charges in the consumer bill by default, over and above the price of food and beverages displayed in the menu and applicable taxes," it said.

The CCPA made clear that input costs like fuel, LPG and electricity are part of the cost of running a business and must be factored into the menu prices.

"The price displayed in the menu shall be the final price, exclusive only of applicable taxes and consumers shall not be misled or compelled to pay any additional charge that is not voluntary in nature," the regulator said.

Over the last few days, India has witnessed the panic buying of petrol and diesel in a number of states.

On Wednesday, several major Indian cities reported snaking queues at fuel stations triggered by fears of a potential shortage.

The government and oil marketing attempted to allay concerns by saying that adequate stocks of petrol, diesel, and liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) were available and that people should not believe rumors and avoid panic buying.

Meanwhile, on Wednesday, a government order mandated that households with access to piped natural gas (PNG) will have to switch from LPG, or risk losing their cooking gas supply.

PNG is supplied continuously through a direct pipeline network to homes, commercial businesses, and industries. LPG can be stored and transported in cylinders.

News agency PTI cited an order by the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas, saying that LPG supply "shall cease after three months" if a household does not opt for PNG despite it being available.

The new order is part of a broader push aimed at accelerating gas network expansion and reducing reliance on a single fuel.

It comes as India struggles with an LPG shortage due to the war in the Middle East upending supplies from crucial sources. 

The High Court of Justice in London has refused to reopen fugitive Indian diamond merchant Nirav Modi's extradition case, bringing him closer to facing charges in India over a $2 billion (€1.7 billion) bank scam. 

Modi's petition to reopen proceedings against his extradition order by UK courts was rejected by the High Court of Justice, King's Bench Division, in London on Wednesday. 

Nirav Modi had claimed that he would be at risk of torture if extradited from the United Kingdom to India. 

The case against his petition was argued by the Crown Prosecution Service advocate, assisted by a team of India's Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), including investigating officers who travelled to London for the hearing.

While handing down its ruling, the High Court of Justice said that Modi's petition and the circumstances surrounding it were not exceptional for the earlier extradition order to be revisited, the CBI said in a statement.

The diamantaire is wanted in India to sit trial in a bank fraud case involving defrauding the state-owned Punjab National Bank of approximately $2 billion.

Modi fled India in early 2018 before the scam came to light. 

He has denied the allegations against him, saying the charges are politically motivated.

Modi was arrested in the UK in 2019, following which courts there approved his extradition. 

At least 13 people died on Thursday as a bus caught fire after colliding with a truck in India's Andhra Pradesh state, reports said. 

The incident occurred in the southern state's Markapuram district in the early hours of the morning. 

According to the authorities, the private passenger bus was travelling from Nirmal in Telangana to Nellore in Andhra Pradesh at 6 a.m. local time (0030 GMT), when it collided with a tipper truck. The accident triggered a massive fire that quickly engulfed both vehicles.

At least 35 passengers were reported to be on board when the accident took place. 

Several passengers are feared to have been burnt alive, news agency ANI cited officials as saying. 

At least 20 people injured in the incident were receiving treatment at the hospital. 

Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu expressed shock and grief over those killed in the accident. 

"The tragic loss of 13 passengers, who were burnt alive in a horrific road accident near Rayavaram in Markapuram district, has caused profound shock," Naidu wrote on X.  

He has ordered a probe into the cause of the accident, asking for the submission of a detailed report. 

"Reports suggesting the death toll may rise are causing further concern. I extend my deepest condolences to the families of those who have died. The government will stand by the affected families," Naidu added in his statement. 

The office of Prime Minister Narendra Modi has announced a compensation of Rs. 200,000 (€1,840) each for the families of those killed and Rs 50,000 (€460) for the injured. 

"The mishap in Markapuram district, Andhra Pradesh, is tragic. Condolences to those who have lost their loved ones. May the injured recover at the earliest," a statement from the Prime Minister's office said. 

Last week, another private bus caught fire after a tyre burst in Andhra Pradesh's Vizianagaram district. No injuries were reported in the incident. 

This is Dharvi Vaid Dhulia from DW's studio in New Delhi. It's a partly cloudy Thursday morning in the capital as we bring you the latest edition of our daily news updates from India.

A major bus accident in the southern Indian state of Andhra Pradesh has killed at least 13 people. The bus was left charred after it collided with a truck and caught fire. 

In other news, fugitive diamantaire Nirav Modi seems to be a step closer to facing charges in India after his petition to reopen proceedings against his extradition order by UK courts was rejected by the High Court of Justice in London. The diamond merchant  is wanted in his home country over his alleged involvement in a case of defrauding a state-owned bank of nearly $2 billion (€1.7 billion).

Meanwhile, India's consumer protection watchdog has cautioned hotels and restaurants against levying an additional gas and liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) charge as the country continues to grapple with a fuel crisis triggered by the Israel-Iran war. 

Stick with us as we bring you the latest developments, on-ground reports and analysis from India.