In a tragic incident on Christmas Day, a sleeper coach bus collided with a container truck in Karnataka’s Chitradurga district, resulting in six fatalities and 21 injuries. The deceased include four women, a child, and the truck driver. Five bodies were recovered from the bus, while one was retrieved from the truck, bringing the total death toll to six.
Chitradurga Superintendent of Police Ranjit Kumar Bandaru mentioned that among the deceased were Bindu, her daughter Greya, Manasa, Navya, and Rashmi. Identification of the bodies has been challenging, especially for Navya and Manasa, who were friends known to exchange jewelry. The families are relying on identifying the bodies through personal items.
A total of 32 individuals, including the driver and conductor, were on board the bus, with 28 having pre-booked tickets. The deceased child, Greya, was not listed in the booking chart as she was traveling with her mother. The bodies will be released to the families after DNA samples are collected for identification.
Inspector General of Police B.R. Ravikanthe Gowda explained that the collision occurred when a container truck from the opposite direction crashed into the bus, causing a fire that engulfed the vehicle. Passengers who were awake managed to escape, but those asleep faced difficulties. The accident disrupted traffic on the Bengaluru–Sira stretch of the national highway.
The Chief Minister of Karnataka, Siddaramaiah, announced compensation for the victims’ families and the injured. An investigation will be conducted to determine the accident’s cause. Authorities also revealed that a school bus narrowly avoided the tragedy, with the driver recounting the harrowing experience of witnessing the collision.
