Nine Killed as Truck Rams Luxury Bus in Karnataka’s Chitradurga

Chitradurga (Karnataka), Dec 25: At least nine people were killed early Thursday after a speeding truck jumped a road divider and rammed into a luxury sleeper bus in Chitradurga district, causing the bus to catch fire, police said.

The bus, carrying 32 passengers and travelling from T Dasarahalli to Gokarna, was engulfed in flames following the impact, resulting in most of the victims being burnt alive inside the vehicle, East Zone Inspector General of Police Ravikanthe Gowda told reporters.

The accident occurred when the truck crossed the divider and collided head-on with the oncoming bus. While the bus driver and cleaner managed to escape, the truck driver and his cleaner were among those killed.

Several passengers saved their lives by jumping out of the bus despite the blaze, police said. The injured were rushed to a hospital in Shira town of Tumakuru district, with at least two reported to be critically injured.

A major tragedy was averted as another bus carrying 45 schoolchildren, travelling from T Dasarahalli to Dandeli and following the ill-fated bus, narrowly escaped the collision. “Thankfully, the driver swerved to the other side of the road and no one was hurt,” Gowda said.

Further investigation into the accident is underway. (Agencies)