Karnataka Tragedy: Sleeper Bus Collides with Truck, Catches Fire; Five Killed in Chitradurga

A horrific road accident in Karnataka’s Chitradurga district claimed at least five lives after a private sleeper bus collided with a container lorry and burst into flames in the early hours of Thursday. The incident has once again highlighted serious concerns over road safety, driver fatigue, and night-time highway travel.

According to officials, the sleeper bus was travelling from Bengaluru to the coastal town of Gokarna when it was hit head-on by a container truck. The impact was so severe that the bus immediately caught fire, trapping several passengers inside and leading to multiple casualties.

Preliminary investigations by the Chitradurga police suggest that the container lorry jumped the road divider before ramming into the bus. Authorities suspect that the truck driver may have fallen asleep at the wheel, causing the vehicle to veer into the opposite lane.

“The container truck crossed the divider and struck the bus directly. The truck driver has died. There were 32 passengers on board the bus. So far, 21 injured passengers have been admitted to hospitals, and search operations are ongoing to ensure no one else is trapped or missing,” police officials said.

In the immediate aftermath of the accident, authorities initially feared a higher death toll and reported that up to nine people may have lost their lives. However, this figure was later revised as rescue and recovery efforts progressed.

Inspector General of Police (Eastern Range) Ravi Kanthe Gowda clarified that while there were suspicions of eight passenger deaths along with the truck driver, only the bodies of four bus passengers and the lorry driver have been recovered so far.

“No additional bodies have been found at the site. At present, the mobile phones of three or four passengers are unreachable. We are hopeful that they may have survived and are making all efforts to contact their families. Until bodies are recovered, no one can be officially declared dead,” the senior police officer said.

Several other passengers sustained injuries in the accident and were rushed to nearby hospitals in Chitradurga and Hiriyur for treatment. Doctors said that while some victims suffered serious burn injuries, many others escaped with fractures and trauma-related injuries.

Aditya, one of the survivors, recounted the terrifying moments following the collision. He said the bus had departed from Bengaluru at around 11:30 p.m., and the accident occurred close to 2 a.m.

“After the impact, I fell down. I somehow managed to break the glass and escape. Many people were screaming inside the bus, but by then the fire had spread rapidly,” he said, describing the chaos and panic at the scene.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed deep sorrow over the tragic incident. “Deeply saddened by the loss of lives due to an accident in Chitradurga district of Karnataka. My condolences to those who have lost their loved ones. May the injured recover soon,” the Prime Minister said in a statement.

The Prime Minister also announced ex-gratia compensation from the Prime Minister’s National Relief Fund. The next of kin of each deceased person will receive Rs 2 lakh, while those injured in the accident will be given Rs 50,000 as financial assistance.

Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah also expressed profound grief over the incident. “It is heart-wrenching to learn that several people were burnt alive in the horrific collision between a truck and a bus near Chitradurga. It is devastating that a journey home for the Christmas season ended in such a tragic manner,” he said.

The Chief Minister called for strict accountability and ordered a comprehensive investigation to ascertain the exact cause of the accident. He said necessary steps must be taken to prevent such tragedies from recurring on Karnataka’s highways.

Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar also conveyed his condolences to the families of the victims. “The news of the collision between a bus and a truck travelling from Bengaluru to Gokarna near Hiriyur, in which several people were burnt alive, is extremely shocking. My heartfelt sympathies to the deceased. I wish the injured a speedy recovery. May such tragic incidents never occur again,” he said.

The incident comes close on the heels of another deadly road accident in Tamil Nadu on Wednesday, where nine people were killed after a government bus crossed over to the wrong side of the road and crashed into two cars. Police said the bus veered off course due to a tyre burst, leaving four people, including two children, critically injured and undergoing treatment at government hospitals.