Karnataka bus accident : Chitradurga SP confirms 5 deaths so far in NH 48 bus tragedy

Chief Minister Siddaramaiah announces ₹5 lakh ex-gratia for the kin of the deceased and ₹50,000 for the injured

As many as five people have been confirmed dead after a container truck hit a luxury sleeper bus on National Highway 48, near Hiriyur in Karnataka’s Chitradurga district early on Thursday (December 25, 2025). The Superintendent of Police of Chitradurga district Ranjith Kumar Bandaru has clarified that so far the death of only five persons has been confirmed.

The bus with 32 passengers which was on its way to Gokarna was engulfed in flames under the impact of the collision and most of the deceased were burnt alive inside the vehicle, said the East Zone Inspector General of Police Ravikanthe Gowda.

The bus driver and cleaner escaped. The driver of the truck and his cleaner were among the dead.

Reports say the truck driver’s negligence was the cause of the accident, which happened on the highway that connects Bengaluru with Pune and Mumbai. The truck driver jumped a road-divider, lost control of the vehicle and collided with the oncoming bus.

Private school bus driver praised for averting another tragedy

Karnataka The driver of another private bus, whose timely judgement, saved the lives of school children on a study tour has received appreciation from local people.

Sachin, a native of Holenarasipur in Hassan district, was driving a private bus carrying 43 children from a private school in T. Dasarahalli in Bengaluru.

“The sleeper bus overtook me and I was about 80 feet away. Suddenly, the truck from the opposite direction crossed over the divider and hit the bus in front of me. Due to the impact, the bus turned left and and hit my vehicle. I moved off the road, crossed the fencing and parked the bus on the service road. All the children in my bus are safe,” the driver told The Hindu.

While the school bus suffered damage, the driver sustained a minor head injury. The bus owner arranged for an alternative vehicle for the school trip. All the students continued with their trip to Dandeli.

“The driver deserves appreciation for his skills. He managed the situation well and ensured the school children are safe,” said Kariyanna, a resident of Javanagondanahalli.

Chitradurga SP confirms 5 deaths so far
The Superintendent of Police of Chitradurga district Ranjith Kumar Bandaru has clarified that so far the death of only five persons have been confirmed

CM Siddaramaiah and PM Modi announce ex-gratia

School bus carrying children also collided with bus, no injuries reported
IGP Dr. BR Ravikante Gowda said that a school bus traveling from T Dasarahalli to Dandeli, traveling parallel, collided with the burnt bus.

“Karnataka Fortunately, nothing happened to the 48 students who were on that bus. That school bus driver is the eyewitness to the entire incident. We are also recording his statement… Further inquiry is on…” Dr. Gowda said.

The driver of the private sleeper bus involved in the fatal crash near Hiriyur on Thursday said that he tried desperately to control the vehicle after spotting an overspeeding truck barreling towards him from the opposite direction, but the impact was unavoidable.

The accident happened around 2 am, when the speeding truck rammed into the luxury sleeper bus, triggering a massive fire that engulfed the vehicle within minutes. At least nine people lost their lives in the incident, a senior police official said.

Despite the efforts of the driver to steer clear of the oncoming truck, the collision proved fatal, with flames spreading rapidly after the crash and trapping several passengers inside the bus.

“The truck came from the other side of the road divider and hit. It was overspeeding. I was maintaining the speed of 60-70 (km/hr) at that time. I saw the vehicle coming from the front. I only know the vehicle (truck) hitting the bus, after that I do not know what happened and how I was brought out,” Rafiq, the bus driver who is undergoing treatment, told reporters.

He said, “I tried to control the bus, on seeing the vehicle approaching from the opposite direction. My bus even touched the other vehicle, which was moving next to us; I do not know what vehicle it was. But, could not (control).” Mohammed Sadiq, the cleaner of the bus who is also undergoing treatment with minor injuries, said he was thrown out of the bus due to the impact.

“The truck that was coming from the opposite direction directly rammed the diesel tank. I was in the front of the bus and was asleep when the accident happened. Due to the impact of the accident, I was thrown out, breaking the glass of the bus,” he said.

Proper investigation will be conducted to find out the cause, says CM

Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah said on Thursday that a proper investigation will be conducted into the Chitradurga bus accident in which at least nine people were killed.

“My heart shook hearing the news of the horrible accident between a lorry (container truck) and a bus near Chitradurga in which many passengers were burnt alive. It is regrettable that the journey of those who were going home for the Christmas holidays ended in such a tragedy,” Siddaramaiah posted on ‘X’.

CHITRADURGA:

The blaze that engulfed a private sleeper coach on National Highway 48 in Karnataka’s Chitradurga district in the early hours of Thursday was triggered when a fuel tanker truck jumped the road divider and rammed into the bus, causing it to burst into flames, police said to news agency ANI.
The crash has so far claimed over five lives, while several others sustained serious injuries.

Karnataka The accident happened around 3 am near Gorlath Cross in Hiriyur taluk of Chitradurga district. The impact of the collision engulfed the sleeper coach in flames in the middle of the highway, trapping several passengers inside the vehicle.

Karnataka highway tragedy:

Over 20 burned alive as Bengaluru-Shivamogga bus catches fire in Chitradurga
Police and fire service personnel rushed to the spot and launched rescue operations.

Here’s how the tragedy unfolded

Karnataka Preliminary investigations point to negligence on the part of the tanker driver, said the police. The truck driver, identified as Kuldeep, died in the crash. The bus driver, the conductor and a few passengers managed to escape by jumping out moments after the collision.

Inspector General of Police BR Ravikante Gowda told news agency ANI, “A school bus traveling parallel to the sleeper coach also collided with the burnt vehicle.

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