In the early hours of Thursday, a horrific collision between a truck and a private sleeper bus in the Chitradurga district of Karnataka resulted in a devastating fire and the loss of many lives. The accident occurred near Gorlathu village in Hiriyur taluk on National Highway 48.

Initial reports indicate that the truck, heading towards Bengaluru from Hiriyur, jumped the road divider and collided head-on with the bus, which was en route from Bengaluru to Gokarna. The impact of the collision caused the bus to ignite immediately, trapping passengers inside.

Emergency services were quickly alerted, and rescue operations commenced without delay. Fire brigade personnel and police officials rushed to the scene to transport the injured to nearby hospitals. However, the flames spread rapidly, making rescue efforts challenging.

Tragically, over 10 people were burned to death in the accident. At the time of the collision, the bus had 32 passengers. 21 injured passengers have been admitted to hospitals in Hiriyur and Chitradurga. Authorities are currently verifying passenger details to account for all individuals who were on board.

Preliminary investigations suggest the truck driver may have fallen asleep at the wheel, leading to the vehicle crossing the divider. The truck driver, identified as Kuldeep, died on the spot.

East Zone Inspector General of Police Ravikanthe Gowda stated that the bus was engulfed in flames after the truck crossed the divider and collided with it. The bus driver and conductor managed to escape, while the truck driver and its cleaner were among those killed. Some passengers escaped by jumping out of the bus.

Prime Minister Modi expressed his condolences. An ex-gratia of Rs. 2 lakh from PMNRF would be given to the next of kin of each deceased. The injured would be given Rs. 50,000.

In a separate incident in Tamil Nadu, nine people died after a state-run bus collided with two vehicles.