Chitradurga, Dec 25 (UNI) As many as 10 people were killed and several others injured after a private sleeper bus collided head-on with a truck and caught fire in the early hours of Thursday in Karnataka’s Chitradurga district, police said.
The accident occurred early morning near Gorlathu village in Hiriyur taluk on National Highway-48. The bus, travelling from Bengaluru to Shivamogga, caught fire soon after the collision, with flames spreading rapidly and trapping several passengers inside.
Senior police officials, including Chitradurga Superintendent of Police Ranjith Kumar Bandaru and Inspector General of Police B R Ravikanthe Gowda reached the accident site. Fire brigade teams also rushed to the spot.
Rescue operations were carried out, and the injured and the deceased were shifted to hospitals in Hiriyur and Chitradurga.
Police said the bus had 32 passengers on board, including the driver and conductor. Of these, 21 were injured and are receiving treatment, with several suffering serious burn injuries, raising concerns that the death toll could increase.
“The lorry crossed the divider and hit the bus head-on. Initial investigation suggests the collision may have caused fuel to gush out, triggering the fire,” Inspector General of Police B R Ravikanthe Gowda said.
According to preliminary findings, the truck jumped the road divider and rammed into the bus.
Bus-Truck collision in Chitradurga kills 10, several injured
