At least five people were charred to death and more than 20 others sustained serious injuries after a private sleeper bus caught fire following a collision with a container truck on National Highway 48 near Javanagondanahalli late on Thursday night.
Midnight crash leads to deadly blaze
The bus, travelling from Bengaluru to Gokarna, collided with a container truck heading towards Bengaluru near the HP petrol pump. Police said the impact caused the bus to burst into flames within minutes. Four passengers died on the spot, while the container truck driver was also found charred to death.
Superintendent of Police Ranjit Kumar Bandaru confirmed that four bodies were recovered from the gutted bus. The identity of the victims will be established through DNA tests.
Passengers jump out to save lives
The bus driver, two staff members and several passengers managed to escape by jumping out before the flames spread rapidly. Seven passengers suffered minor injuries. The bus was carrying 29 passengers against a seating capacity of 32, including 15 women and 14 men. Most were residents of Gokarna, while others were from Kumta and Shivamogga.
The injured were shifted to hospitals in Chitradurga, Sira, Hiriyur, Tumakuru and Bengaluru for treatment.
Senior police officers inspect spot
Inspector General of Police (Eastern Range) Ravikanthe Gowda visited the accident site, while SP Bandaru supervised the investigation. Teams from Suco, the Forensic Science Laboratory and other departments collected samples and examined the scene.
The accident caused a massive traffic jam on NH-48, with vehicles stranded for nearly 30 km.
PM, CM announce ex gratia
The Prime Minister’s Office said Narendra Modi announced an ex gratia of ₹2 lakh from the PMNRF for the next of kin of each deceased and ₹50,000 for the injured.
Chief Minister Siddaramaiah expressed deep grief and announced ₹5 lakh from the CMNRF for each bereaved family, ordering a thorough probe into the incident.