At least nine people lost their lives on Thursday after a lorry crossed the central divider on National Highway 48 and crashed into a private sleeper coach bus in Karnataka&rsquo;s Chitradurga district. The collision triggered a massive fire, leaving passengers trapped inside the bus with little time to escape.
The incident occurred near Gorlathu Cross in Hiriyur taluk. The sleeper bus was travelling from Bengaluru to Shivamogga when it was hit by the lorry, which was moving towards Bengaluru from Hiriyur. The impact caused the bus to catch fire on the highway.
Police confirmed that eight passengers on the bus died in the blaze, along with the lorry driver. Several others sustained burn injuries and were rushed to nearby hospitals. Most of the injured are reported to be out of danger, while one person from Shira with 15&ndash;20 per cent burns has been shifted to Victoria Hospital in Bengaluru for advanced treatment.
A total of 32 passengers were on board the bus at the time of the accident. Injured victims have been admitted to hospitals in Hiriyur, Shira, and Tumakuru.
Preliminary investigations indicate negligence on the part of the lorry driver. Authorities are collecting DNA samples and verifying booking records to identify the deceased. Police also noted that a school bus carrying children was passing through the area at the time of the fire, but no injuries were reported among the students.

Lorry jumps divider on NH-48, hits sleeper bus, triggering deadly fire in Chitradurga

9 killed as Bus Catches Fire in Karnataka Crash

Lorry jumps divider on NH-48, hits sleeper bus, triggering deadly fire in Chitradurga

December 25, 2025 | 09:48 IST