At least 10 people were charred to death, and several others sustained injuries after a private sleeper bus collided with a truck in the early hours of Thursday, December 25, in Karnataka’s Chitradurga district, triggering a massive fire that left the bus completely charred.
The accident took place near Gorlathu village in Hiriyur taluk, where the impact of the collision caused the bus to catch fire almost immediately.
The flames spread rapidly, trapping several passengers inside the vehicle and making rescue efforts extremely challenging.
The bus was travelling from Bengaluru to Shivamogga when it met with the accident on National Highway-48.
Following the collision, emergency services were alerted, and rescue and relief operations were launched without delay, with local authorities rushing to the scene.
Chitradurga Superintendent of Police Ranjith Kumar Bandaru and Inspector General of Police B.R. Ravikanthe Gowda, along with other senior police officials, reached the accident site.
Fire brigade personnel and rescue teams were also deployed, and efforts were made to transport the injured and the deceased to nearby hospitals as quickly as possible.
Officials said the death toll could increase as several passengers suffered serious burn injuries.
“The number of fatalities is likely to rise,” an official said, adding that rescue teams are continuing their search operations at the site.
According to preliminary police investigations, the truck driver is suspected of having fallen asleep at the wheel.
The truck reportedly jumped the road divider before crashing head-on into the bus. The truck driver died on the spot.
There were 32 passengers on board the bus at the time of the accident. Police said that 21 injured passengers have been admitted to hospitals in Hiriyur and Chitradurga, where they are undergoing treatment.
Authorities also said they are verifying passenger details and searching for any individuals who may still be unaccounted for.
“The injured were rushed to the nearest hospitals for immediate medical attention,” a police official said, while confirming that relief work was still underway.
The exact cause of the fire that engulfed the bus has not yet been officially confirmed, and investigators are examining whether fuel leakage or the impact itself led to the blaze.
Investigations are underway.
Further details are awaited.