A devastating bus accident near Hiriyur in Karnataka’s Chitradurga district claimed more than 20 lives in the early hours of the morning after a private tourist bus caught fire following a high-speed collision
with a container truck. The incident occurred near Javanagondahalli village on the national highway and has shaken the state, raising serious concerns about highway safety and night-time travel.
The bus, operated by Seabird Tourist, was travelling from Bengaluru to Gokarna with 32 passengers on board. At around 2 am, while most passengers were asleep, a container truck coming from the opposite direction reportedly lost control, jumped the median and crashed head-on into the bus.
Eyewitnesses said the impact was severe and concentrated near the bus’s diesel tank. The collision caused fuel to leak and ignite almost instantly. Within seconds, thick smoke and towering flames engulfed the bus, trapping many passengers inside as they slept.
Chitradurga Bus Tragedy: How The Bus Caught Fire?
Police officials confirmed that the fire broke out immediately after the crash. Ravikanthe Gowda, Inspector General of Police, said the container lorry climbed the divider and struck the bus’s diesel tank, which leaked and caught fire. The rapid spread of flames left little time for passengers to react or escape.
Despite the scale of the blaze, the bus driver, cleaner and conductor managed to escape. Another bus travelling close to the one involved in the accident narrowly avoided collision and was not affected.
How Passengers Sitting on These Seat Survived?
Among those who were caught in the blaze while asleep, only a few passengers survived, largely due to where they were seated. According to survivor accounts, passengers occupying the lower berths on the left side of the bus managed to escape the fire.
A group of seven friends from Mavalli in Bengaluru were travelling to Gokarna for the Christmas holidays. They had booked seats in a single row. Manjunath (4L), Sandhya (5L), Shashank (6L), Dileep (7L), Bindu (8L) and Kavitha (9L) were seated in the lower berths, while Preetieswaran (7U) occupied an upper berth. When the fire broke out, all of them woke up and managed to get out of the bus. Survivors said the fact that they were seated together helped them escape quickly.
Manjunath, who was seated in 4L, suffered severe burn injuries and is undergoing treatment at the burn ward of Victoria Hospital in Bengaluru with 30 per cent burns. Shashank, who was with him, escaped without serious injuries and is being treated at the hospital’s emergency ward.
Another family that survived was Kiran Pal and his family, who were also travelling to Gokarna. They had booked lower berths on the left side of the bus. Kiran Pal (13L), Keerthana (14L), Nandita (15L) and Devika (16L) were seated together and were able to help one another escape. The family narrowly avoided death. Keerthana suffered five per cent burns and Devika three per cent burns. Their injuries are not serious.
Chitradurga Bus Tragedy: Why Rescue Was A Challenges For Authorities?
More than 20 passengers are feared to have died, and officials have said the death toll may rise. Currently, 12 injured passengers are being treated at Hiriyur hospital, while nine others were shifted to Sira for specialised care. Six injured passengers are also undergoing treatment at Victoria Hospital in Bengaluru.
The accident caused a massive traffic jam stretching nearly four kilometres near Javanagondahalli, delaying ambulances and rescue teams. Firefighters worked for hours to bring the blaze under control as police cleared the highway.
Authorities have launched an investigation into how the container truck lost control and crossed the median.
With inputs from report by Manjunath N., News18 Kannada Correspondent, Bengaluru
