5 charred to death as bus catches fire after collision with lorry in Karnataka

At least five people were charred to death after a private sleeper bus caught fire following a collision with a container lorry in Karnataka’s Chitradurga district on Thursday.

The bus was travelling from Bengaluru to Gokarna when it was hit head-on by a container lorry and immediately went up in flames, police said.

Chitradurga Police said they suspect the lorry driver may have fallen asleep at the wheel. “The container lorry jumped over the divider and hit the bus. The lorry driver is dead. There were 32 people on the bus. We have 21 people injured in hospital, and we are looking for more people, the police said.

The police initially said nine people had died, but later retracted the figure. Inspector General of Police (Eastern Range) Ravi Kanthe Gowda said police had earlier suspected that eight passengers and the lorry driver were dead. However, after recovery operations, only four passengers’ bodies and the body of the lorry driver were found.

“We have not found any more bodies. There are three to four passengers whose phones are currently not reachable. Until bodies are found, they cannot be declared dead,” he said, adding that police were hopeful the missing passengers had survived and efforts were on to reach their families.

Several others sustained injuries and were rushed to hospitals in Hiriyur and Chitradurga for treatment.

A survivor named Aditya said the bus left Bengaluru at 11:30 pm and the accident occurred around 2 am. “I fell down after the accident, broke the glass and managed to get out. Many people were screaming, but by then the fire had engulfed the bus,” the survivor said.

‘TRIED TO CONTROL BUS’

The driver of the private sleeper bus said he tried to control the vehicle after spotting an overspeeding container truck approaching from the opposite direction, but could not avert the collision.

Rafiq, the bus driver who is undergoing treatment, told reporters that the truck crossed the road divider and rammed into the bus. “It was overspeeding. I was maintaining a speed of 60–70 kmph. I saw the vehicle coming from the front. I only remember the truck hitting the bus. After that, I don’t know what happened or how I was brought out,” he said.

He added that he attempted to manoeuvre the bus on noticing the truck. “I tried to control the bus. It even touched another vehicle moving beside us, but I couldn’t control it,” he said.

Mohammed Sadiq, the bus cleaner who suffered minor injuries, said he was thrown out of the bus due to the impact. “The truck coming from the opposite direction rammed into the diesel tank. I was asleep in the front portion of the bus. Due to the impact, I was thrown out after the glass broke,” he said.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed grief over the tragedy. “Deeply saddened by the loss of lives due to a mishap in the Chitradurga district of Karnataka. Condolences to those who have lost their loved ones. May those injured recover at the earliest,” he said.

The Prime Minister announced an ex-gratia of Rs 2 lakh from the Prime Minister’s National Relief Fund for the next of kin of each deceased, while the injured will receive Rs 50,000.

Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah also expressed grief over the accident. “Hearing the tragic news of several passengers being burned alive in the horrific accident between a lorry and a bus near Chitradurga has left hearts trembling. It is heartbreaking that the journey of those heading to their villages for Christmas holidays ended in such a tragedy,” he said.

Calling for accountability, Siddaramaiah said a thorough investigation should be conducted to ascertain the cause of the accident.

Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar also condoled the deaths. “The news of the accident that occurred near Hiriyur between a bus and a truck travelling from Bengaluru to Gokarna, resulting in several people being burned alive, has come as a severe shock. I convey my condolences to those who have died. I pray that the injured recover soon. May such tragedies never recur,” he said.

A similar incident was reported on Wednesday when nine people were killed after a government bus swerved to the opposite side and collided with two vehicles in Tamil Nadu, police said. The bus changed direction due to a tyre burst, they said, adding 4 people, including two children, sustained severe injuries, and they were being treated at state-run hospitals.