Tragic accident in Karnataka: Bus fire kills 9 after sleeper bus collides with container lorry
The accident occurred in Chitradurga district on Thursday when the bus, travelling from Bengaluru to Gokarna, was hit head-on by a container lorry and immediately went up in flames, police said
- Dec 25, 2025,
- Updated Dec 25, 2025 8:50 AM IST
A late-night highway journey ended in tragedy in central Karnataka after a private sleeper bus was engulfed by fire moments after a collision, killing at least nine passengers and leaving several others injured.
The accident occurred in Chitradurga district on Thursday when the bus, travelling from Bengaluru to Gokarna, 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 force of the impact caused the bus to catch fire and get completely gutted. Nine passengers were charred to death, while several others sustained injuries and were rushed to hospitals in Hiriyur and Chitradurga for treatment.
A survivor, Aditya, said the bus had departed Bengaluru at 11:30 pm and the crash took place 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.
The crash comes a day after another fatal road accident in the state. On Wednesday, nine people were killed after a government bus veered into the opposite lane and collided with two vehicles, police said. The bus changed direction due to a tyre burst, they added. Four people, including two children, sustained severe injuries and are undergoing treatment at state-run hospitals.
A late-night highway journey ended in tragedy in central Karnataka after a private sleeper bus was engulfed by fire moments after a collision, killing at least nine passengers and leaving several others injured.
The accident occurred in Chitradurga district on Thursday when the bus, travelling from Bengaluru to Gokarna, 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 force of the impact caused the bus to catch fire and get completely gutted. Nine passengers were charred to death, while several others sustained injuries and were rushed to hospitals in Hiriyur and Chitradurga for treatment.
A survivor, Aditya, said the bus had departed Bengaluru at 11:30 pm and the crash took place 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.
The crash comes a day after another fatal road accident in the state. On Wednesday, nine people were killed after a government bus veered into the opposite lane and collided with two vehicles, police said. The bus changed direction due to a tyre burst, they added. Four people, including two children, sustained severe injuries and are undergoing treatment at state-run hospitals.