Chitradurga, Dec 25: At least 10 people were charred to death, and several others sustained injuries after a private sleeper bus collided with a truck in the early hours of Thursday in Karnataka’s Chitradurga district, triggering a massive fire that left the bus completely charred.The accident took place near Gorlathu village in Hiriyur taluk, where the impact of the collision caused the bus to catch fire almost immediately,The flames spread rapidly, trapping several passengers inside the vehicle and making rescue efforts extremely challenging.The bus was travelling from Bengaluru to Shivamogga when it met with the accident on National Highway-48.
After the collision, emergency services were immediately alerted and rescue and relief operations were swiftly initiated, with local authorities rushing to the accident site.Chitradurga Superintendent of Police Ranjith Kumar Bandaru and Inspector General of Police B.R. Ravikanthe Gowda, along with other senior police officers, reached the scene to oversee the operations.Fire and rescue personnel were deployed, and efforts were made to shift the injured and the deceased to nearby hospitals at the earliest. Officials cautioned that the death toll may rise, as several passengers sustained critical burn injuries.“The number of fatalities is expected to increase,” an official said, adding that search and rescue operations are continuing at the site.Preliminary police investigations suggest that the truck driver may have fallen asleep while driving. The truck reportedly crossed the road divider and collided head-on with the bus. The truck driver died on the spot.At the time of the accident, the bus was carrying 32 passengers. Police said 21 injured passengers have been admitted to hospitals in Hiriyur and Chitradurga, where they are receiving treatment.Authorities are also verifying passenger details and checking for anyone who may still be missing.A police official said the injured were rushed to the nearest medical facilities for immediate treatment and confirmed that relief operations are ongoing.The exact cause of the fire that engulfed the bus has not yet been officially established, and investigators are examining whether fuel leakage or the impact of the collision triggered the blaze.Investigations are underway, and further details are awaited.
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