Guwahati: At least 11 people were killed when a container truck rammed into a private luxury sleeper bus on National Highway 48 near Hiriyur in Karnataka’s Chitradurga district in the early hours of Thursday, police said.
The bus, carrying 32 passengers and travelling from Bengaluru to Gokarna, caught fire after the collision, leaving most of the victims charred inside the vehicle, Eastern Range Inspector General of Police B R Ravikanthe Gowda told reporters. The bus driver and cleaner managed to escape, while the truck driver and his cleaner died in the accident.
Police said the accident occurred when the container truck, heading towards Bengaluru, hit the road divider, crossed into the opposite lane, and crashed into the oncoming bus. The impact ruptured the bus’s diesel tank, triggering a massive fire. Preliminary findings indicate overspeeding and negligence on the part of the truck driver.
Police said several passengers escaped by jumping out of the bus, while authorities shifted the injured to a hospital in Sira in Tumakuru district.
Fire and rescue teams rushed to the spot after receiving the first distress call at around 2.15 a.m. Three fire tenders—one from Sira, another from Hiriyur, and a third from Chitradurga—extinguished the blaze within half an hour, officials said. Rescue operations and the recovery of bodies continued until around 8 a.m.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced an ex-gratia of ?2 lakh from the Prime Minister’s National Relief Fund for the next of kin of each deceased and ?50,000 for those injured. President Droupadi Murmu, Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, Union Minister H D Kumaraswamy, and several state ministers expressed grief over the loss of lives and extended condolences to the bereaved families.
Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar said the state government would ensure proper medical treatment for the injured, while Transport Minister Ramalinga Reddy directed senior officials to conduct a spot inspection and submit a detailed report.
The bus driver, who sustained injuries, told reporters that he attempted to control the vehicle after noticing the speeding truck crossing the divider but failed to avoid the collision. The bus cleaner said the impact threw him out of the vehicle, resulting in minor injuries.
Senior police officers from Tumakuru and Chitradurga districts visited the accident site, and authorities have ordered a thorough investigation into the incident.