Chitradurga: At least nine people were burnt alive after a private sleeper bus travelling from Bengaluru to Gokarna collided with a container lorry on National Highway 48 near Hiriyur in Chitradurga district. The tragic accident occurred around 2 am during the intervening night of Wednesday and Thursday, when most of the passengers were fast asleep.
According to preliminary information, the bus was carrying a total of 32 passengers, including the driver and cleaner. Soon after the accident, most of the passengers attempted to save themselves by jumping out of the bus. Several passengers were rescued by local residents, while many others sustained injuries and were admitted to nearby hospitals.
Eyewitnesses and initial reports stated that a speeding container lorry, which was heading towards Bengaluru from Hiriyur, crossed the road divider and entered the opposite lane, crashing head-on into the private sleeper bus travelling from Bengaluru to Gokarna. It is learnt that the impact caused the bus’s diesel tank to burst, resulting in a massive fire. Within minutes, the bus was completely engulfed in flames while standing in the middle of the highway. Preliminary investigation suggests negligence on the part of the container lorry driver as the cause of the accident.
The container lorry driver died on the spot, while the bus driver, identified as Mohammed Rafiq, sustained serious injuries. The bus cleaner, Mohammed Sadiq, escaped with minor injuries. Both are undergoing treatment at a hospital.
It is reported that since the bus was not an air-conditioned coach, many passengers were able to escape in time, which helped save several lives.
According to media reports, 25 passengers on board were travelling to Gokarna to celebrate Christmas, while two passengers were headed to Shivamogga and another two to Kumta. It was also reported that two to three passengers were residents of Murdeshwar.
Immediately after the collision, the fire spread rapidly inside the bus. Passengers who woke up managed to flee the vehicle, while those who were asleep were trapped in the blaze and died on the spot.
Following the accident, a stretch of National Highway 48 was completely blocked, resulting in a massive traffic jam stretching up to 20 kilometres during the nearly two-hour-long rescue operation. Fire brigade personnel and ambulances rushed to the spot soon after the fire broke out. Senior police officials, including IGP Ravikanthe Gowda and Superintendent of Police Ranjith Kumar Bandaru, also arrived at the accident site.
42 Children Safe in Another Bus
It is learnt that a second bus travelling immediately behind the private sleeper bus narrowly escaped the accident. The bus, which was heading from Bengaluru to Dandeli, was carrying 42 children. According to police, the driver of the second bus swerved towards the roadside after witnessing the collision ahead. Though the bus went off the road during the manoeuvre, all the children onboard escaped safely.