A container truck and a luxury sleeper bus engulfed in flames on National Highway 48, at Javanagondanahalli near Hiriyur taluk in Karnataka’s Chitradurga district early morning on December 25, 2025.
| Photo Credit: Special arrangement
1. Karnataka bus accident: Five bus passengers, truck driver die in collision near Chitradurga
As many as five persons heading to their native places for the weekend died and another 28 persons were injured when a container truck hit a sleeper bus, triggering a fire, on the National Highway near Javanagondanahalli in Hiriyur taluk of Chitradurga district in Karnataka early morning on December 25. The driver of the truck, said to be a native of Uttar Pradesh, also died, taking the toll in the accident to six.
Around 2 a.m., the truck carrying beverages from Maharashtra to Nelamangala near Bengaluru jumped over the road divider and hit the oncoming private sleeper bus heading to Gokarna from Bengaluru. The impact set off a fire. Many, including the bus driver and his assistant, succeeded in jumping off the vehicle. However, six persons died. The deceased are Bindu V, her five-year-old daughter Grema, Manasa, Navya and Rashmi Mahale. They were all heading to Gokarna from Bengaluru.
The Hiriyur Rural police have registered an FIR against the driver of the container truck on the charge of causing death by rash and negligent driving. Meanwhile, CM Siddaramaiah and PM Narendra Modi announced ex-gratia compensation to the accident victims. While the CM announced ₹5 lakh to the families of the deceased and ₹50,000 to each injured, Mr. Modi announced an ex-gratia of ₹2 lakh from the PM National Relief Fund (PMNRF) for the next of kin of the deceased and ₹50,000 to each injured.
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2. Karnataka bus accident: Private school bus driver lauded for averting another tragedy
The driver of a private bus, whose timely judgement saved the lives of schoolchildren en route to Dandeli in Karnataka for a study tour, has received appreciation from local people. Sachin, a native of Holenarasipur in Hassan district, was driving the bus carrying 43 children from a private school in T. Dasarahalli in Bengaluru.
“The sleeper bus overtook me. My bus was a few feet behind when a truck from the opposite direction crossed over the divider and hit the sleeper bus. Due to the impact, the sleeper bus swerved left, and and hit my bus. I moved off the road, crossed the fencing and parked my bus on the service road. All the children in my bus are safe,” Sachin told The Hindu.
3. Karnataka bus accident: Transport Minister Ramalinga Reddy attributes fire to truck hitting bus near fuel tank
Karnataka’s Transport Minister Ramalinga Reddy said the primary reason for the collision on NH 48 was that the impact was likely near the diesel tank of the bus. “The bus caught fire immediately because the impact was near the fuel tank. The truck driver might have been driving rashly or may have dozed off, as the accident occurred late at night,” the Minister said.
Responding to concerns over a spate of similar accidents reported in different parts of India in recent months, Mr. Reddy said that both the Transport Department and the police have been regularly conducting awareness programmes for bus and truck drivers, with a special focus on the risks associated with rash driving and fatigue during night-time travel.
Published – December 25, 2025 06:22 pm IST