At least 12 passengers were charred to death, and more than 20 others sustained severe burn injuries after a private bus caught fire near Hiriyur in Karnataka’s Chitradurga district on Thursday.
According
to initial reports, the bus was involved in a collision with a container vehicle, following which it burst into flames.
The fire spread rapidly, leaving several passengers trapped inside.
The bus belonged to a private service named Sea Bird.
There were a total of 32 passengers on the bus at the time of the incident.
Soon after the fire, around 20 injured passengers were rushed to nearby hospitals with serious burn injuries, and their condition is reported to be critical.
Rescue and relief operations were immediately launched, with local authorities and emergency services rushing to the spot.
The exact cause of the fire was yet to be officially confirmed.
Further details are awaited as investigations continue.
