At least 11 dead as sleeper bus catches fire after hitting truck in Chitradurga, Karnataka
At least 11 people have died and 24 others injured in a horrific road accident in Chitradurga district of Karnataka. The accident occurred on National Highway 48.
The Deputy Commissioner (District Magistrate) of Chitradurga said, "The accident happened around 2 am on Wednesday night. A bus traveling from Bengaluru to Gokarna collided with an oncoming truck, causing the bus to catch fire."
"The bus was a sleeper coach carrying 32 passengers. So far, we have identified 11 bodies, and all the injured have been admitted to a nearby hospital."
Pictures from the accident site show that the accident was quite severe, with the bus completely destroyed and the front of the truck also badly damaged.
Eyewitnesses reported that a speeding truck broke through the divider and collided with a private company's Seabird Transport bus coming from the opposite direction. The bus immediately caught fire. The passengers were asleep at the time, giving them no chance to escape.
Police say that most of the passengers had booked their tickets online, which has provided them with their phone numbers. Attempts are being made to contact their families. DNA testing will be conducted to identify the charred remains.
East Zone Inspector General of Police Ravikant Gowda said that the bus driver and cleaner survived, while the truck driver and cleaner died. Several passengers jumped from the bus to save their lives. The injured passengers have been admitted to a hospital in Sira in Tumakuru district. Two passengers are in critical condition.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi also expressed grief over the accident. He announced an ex-gratia payment of Rs 2 lakh each to the families of the deceased and 50,000 each to the injured.
The driver of the bus involved in the accident told the police that he tried to control his vehicle after seeing the speeding truck approaching from the opposite direction, but failed.