At least five people lost their lives and more than twenty others were injured after a private sleeper bus travelling from Bengaluru to Gokarna caught fire following a collision with a container truck on National Highway-48 in Karnataka’s Chitradurga district late Thursday night.
The accident occurred around midnight near an HP petrol pump at Javanagondanahalli village when the bus rammed into a container truck coming from the opposite direction. Police officials said the collision was likely caused by the truck driver’s negligence. The impact was so severe that the bus burst into flames within minutes, trapping several passengers inside.
Four passengers were burnt alive inside the bus, while the container truck driver also died after being caught in the fire. Superintendent of Police Ranjit Kumar Bandaru confirmed that four bodies were recovered from the completely gutted bus and one from the truck. Due to the intensity of the fire, authorities said DNA tests would be conducted to establish the identities of the deceased.
More than twenty passengers sustained serious injuries, while seven others suffered minor wounds. The injured were rushed to hospitals in Chitradurga, Hiriyur, Sira, Tumakuru and Bengaluru for treatment. Officials said timely medical intervention helped save several lives.
The bus was carrying 29 passengers, including 15 women and 14 men, against a seating capacity of 32. Most of the passengers were from Gokarna, while others belonged to Kumta and Shivamogga. The bus driver, two staff members and several passengers managed to escape by jumping out of the vehicle moments before the flames spread.
Videos of the incident, showing passengers fleeing the burning bus and seeking help on the highway, surfaced on social media and quickly went viral. The accident led to massive traffic congestion on NH-48, with vehicles stranded for nearly 30 kilometres up to the Shiravara police station.
Inspector General of Police Ravikanthe Gowda visited the accident site, while SP Bandaru supervised rescue and investigation operations. Teams from the Forensic Science Laboratory and other departments inspected the spot and collected samples to determine the exact cause of the fire.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed grief over the tragedy and announced an ex-gratia compensation of ₹2 lakh from the Prime Minister’s National Relief Fund to the next of kin of each deceased, along with ₹50,000 for the injured. Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah also condoled the deaths, describing the incident as heartbreaking, especially as many passengers were travelling during the Christmas season. He ordered a thorough investigation and announced ₹5 lakh compensation for the families of the deceased and ₹50,000 for the injured from the Chief Minister’s Relief Fund.
Authorities have registered a case and further investigation is underway to establish responsibility and prevent such incidents in the future.