At least 10 people died after a bus collided with a truck and caught fire on National Highway 48 near Gorlathu village in Hiriyur taluk, Chitradurga district.
The accident triggered rescue and recovery operations late Wednesday night.
The bus, travelling from Bengaluru to Shivamogga with 32 passengers bound for Gokarna, burst into flames after the collision. Several victims were trapped inside and burned alive. Nine passengers escaped unhurt, while others were rushed to hospitals in Hiriyur and Chitradurga.
Preliminary findings revealed that the truck veered across a road divider and slammed into the bus. The bus driver and cleaner managed to escape, but the truck’s driver and cleaner were among those killed. Police reported that many passengers survived by jumping out moments before the fire spread.
A second bus carrying 45 schoolchildren narrowly avoided the crash when its driver steered away in time.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed grief over the tragedy, offering condolences to the families. He 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 the injured. Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah also mourned the deaths, calling for a thorough investigation into the accident.
District authorities, police, and emergency teams cleared the charred bus from the highway and continued recovery operations. The incident shocked families of those travelling home forthe Christmas holidays, highlighting the dangers of highway travel during the festive rush.
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