At least 10 people were charred to death after a private bus caught fire following a collision with a lorry near Gorlathu village in Karnataka’s Chitradurga district in the early hours of Thursday. The tragic accident occurred on National Highway 48, a key arterial road connecting Bengaluru with parts of central and coastal Karnataka.
According to initial reports, the lorry rammed into the private bus, triggering a massive fire that engulfed both vehicles within minutes. The bus, belonging to a private service named Sea Bird, was carrying 32 passengers and was en route to Shivamogga from Bengaluru when the incident took place around 2 am.
Several passengers sustained injuries in the crash and were rushed to nearby hospitals in Hiriyur and Chitradurga for treatment. While officials said the condition of the injured is stable, they cautioned that the death toll may rise as rescue and identification efforts continue.
Senior police officials, including North Eastern Range Inspector General of Police (IGP) BR Ravikanthe Gowda and Chitradurga Superintendent of Police (SP) Ranjith Kumar Bandaru, reached the accident site to oversee rescue operations and assess the situation.
Preliminary investigations suggest that negligence on the part of the lorry driver may have caused the accident. Police said the lorry crossed the central divider before crashing head-on into the bus, leading to an explosion and fire.
“The accident happened around 2 am on NH-48. The truck was heading towards Bengaluru when its driver fell asleep and crossed the divider before hitting a bus. The bus immediately caught fire. The truck also caught fire and its driver died on the spot,” SP Bandaru told reporters.
He added that of the 32 people on board the bus, including the driver and conductor, 21 have been rescued. “Five to six passengers have suffered injuries and are undergoing treatment. Their condition is not serious,” he said.
Authorities suspect the lorry driver may have dozed off while driving, though a detailed probe has been launched to establish the exact cause of the collision.
Mohammed Salim, the conductor of the ill-fated bus, recounted the horrifying moments following the crash. “I was sleeping when the accident occurred. I heard a loud noise and fell out of the bus. That is all I remember. I don’t know what happened after that,” he said from his hospital bed. Salim sustained injuries to his hands and legs and is currently undergoing treatment.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed deep sorrow over the loss of lives in the accident and announced financial assistance for the victims’ families. An ex gratia of ₹2 lakh will be provided to the next of kin of those who died, while the injured will receive ₹50,000 each.
“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,” the Prime Minister’s Office said in a statement.
Rescue teams and local authorities continue to clear the wreckage and manage traffic on the highway, as investigations into one of the deadliest road accidents in the region in recent times continue.
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