Breaking Update: Here’s a clear explanation of the latest developments related to Breaking News:9 killed, 21 injured as sleeper bus catches fire after collision in Karnataka’s Chitradurga– What Just Happened and why it matters right now.
Updated on: Dec 25, 2025 08:39 am IST
The crash occurred when a lorry travelling from Hiriyur toward Bengaluru crossed the central divider and rammed into a bus coming from the opposite direction.
Nine people died on Thursday after a lorry crossed the central divider on National Highway 48 at Gorlathu Cross in Hiriyur taluk of Chitradurga district and slammed into a private sleeper coach bus, triggering a fire, the police said.
The bus was travelling from Bengaluru to Shivamogga when it was struck by the lorry, which was heading toward Bengaluru from Hiriyur. The impact caused the bus to catch fire on the highway, trapping passengers inside and leaving little time for escape.
Police officials said 8 passengers on the bus were killed, along with the driver of the lorry. Several others sustained burn injuries and were taken to nearby hospitals. While most of the injured are reported to be out of danger, one person from Shira with 15 to 20% burns has been shifted to Victoria Hospital in Bengaluru for further treatment.
Explaining the sequence of events, Eastern Range Inspector General of Police Ravikanthe Gowda said, “Our investigation so far indicates that the truck rammed directly into the diesel tank, causing it to leak and catch fire, which led to the deaths. We have confirmed that 8 people inside the bus were killed, along with the truck driver. Of the injured, 12 are in Hiriyur, 9 in Shira and 3 have been sent to hospital in Tumkur. One person from Shira, who sustained 15 to 20 percent burn injuries, has been shifted to Victoria Hospital in Bengaluru. The others are out of danger. There were 32 people on the bus.”
Preliminary findings suggest negligence on the part of the lorry driver, the police said. “We are collecting DNA samples from the victims and obtaining booking details to help identify the deceased. Fortunately, a school bus carrying children was passing by when the sleeper bus caught fire, but no injuries were reported among the schoolchildren.”
