In the early hours of 25 December 2025, a private sleeper bus traveling from Bengaluru to Gokarna caught fire after colliding with a container truck on National Highway 48 near Javanagondanahalli, Hiriyur taluk, Chitradurga district. The accident resulted in several deaths and multiple injuries among the bus passengers and the truck driver.
According to The Hindu, police confirmed the death of six individuals, including a five-year-old girl, and identified the deceased as Bindu V, her daughter Grema, Manasa, Navya, Rashmi Mahale, and the truck driver. The bus was carrying 33 people, with 28 sustaining injuries.
As reported by The News Minute, Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah announced an ex-gratia compensation of ₹5 lakh for the families of the deceased and ₹50,000 for the injured. He directed officials to provide all possible assistance and ordered an investigation into the cause of the accident.
As highlighted by Hindustan Times, the collision occurred when a lorry crossed the central divider and struck the bus, causing the diesel tank to ignite. The resulting fire trapped passengers inside, leaving little time for escape. Nine people, including the lorry driver, were confirmed dead, and 21 others were injured.
“Our investigation so far indicates that the truck rammed directly into the diesel tank, causing it to leak and catch fire, which led to the deaths,” Inspector General of Police Ravikanthe Gowda stated.
As noted in an article by The Indian Express, a nearby school bus driver, Sachin, managed to rescue seven passengers before an explosion made further rescue impossible. He described the rapid spread of flames and the challenges faced during the rescue attempt.
As Scroll stated in an article, the lorry also collided with a school bus, but no injuries were reported among the schoolchildren. The police attributed the cause to reckless driving by the lorry driver, who veered into the opposite lane.
The report highlighted, Transport Minister Ramalinga Reddy confirmed that the fire was triggered by the truck hitting the bus near its fuel tank. He stated that preliminary findings indicated no fault on the part of the bus driver and that the truck driver may have dozed off or was driving rashly.
The sequence of events unfolded as the report noted, with the truck jumping the divider and colliding with the bus around 2 a.m. Many passengers were asleep at the time, and several managed to escape by jumping out, while others were trapped by the flames.
Medical updates were provided the article mentioned, with injured passengers being treated at hospitals in Hiriyur, Sira, Tumkur, and Victoria Hospital in Bengaluru. One patient remained in critical condition, while others were reported stable.
“We broke the glass and tried to escape. People were screaming at that time. Some tried to save others, but the fire was spreading rapidly, making rescue difficult,” a survivor recounted.
The news report said, the schoolchildren in the nearby bus were unharmed and continued their journey after being transferred to another vehicle. The driver of the school bus suffered a head injury but was able to assist in the rescue.
Further details on the investigation and emergency response were provided the document revealed. DNA samples were collected for victim identification, and fire tenders from multiple locations responded to extinguish the blaze and assist with rescue operations.
Note: This article is produced using AI-assisted tools and is based on publicly available information. It has been reviewed by The Quint's editorial team before publishing.