At around 3 AM this morning, a sleeper coach bus collided with a truck near Gorlath cross in Hiriyur Taluk on National Highway 48, in Chitradurga, Karnataka. The devastating accident has claimed the lives of more than 20 passengers, many of whom were charred on the spot, The Times of India reported.
Police personnel and firefighters have recovered nine corpses till 8 in the morning. The injured have been admitted to a local hospital, where they are undergoing treatment.
What happened on NH-48?
A truck travelling from Hiriyur to Bengaluru jumped over the central divider on NH 48 and crashed into a bus that was heading from Bengaluru to Shivamogga, in the opposite direction. The sleeper coach was set ablaze as a result of the collision in the middle of the highway. Several passengers were trapped inside, as the bus burst into flames, Hindustan Times reported.
The bus was carrying 32 passengers, and the fire caused by the crash burnt most of them alive inside the vehicle, as per East Zone Inspector General of Police Ravikanthe Gowda, quoted news agency PTI.
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Recovery operations ongoing
Emergency workers recovered the burnt dead bodies from the mangled bus and put them in body bags. Police have said the official figure of the number of deaths will be made public after an audit. Many of those who could escape the bus have suffered grave injuries and were sent to a local hospital for treatment.
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The burnt bus has been cleared from the highway, and emergency teams are carrying out recovery operations. Primary investigations are revealing the truck driver's negligence. The police have said the force of the crash and the subsequent fire left the bus completely charred, which has complicated rescue operations. The bus driver and helper have fled, while the truck driver has died in the crash.
