‘Truck hit fuel tank, fire everywhere’: Karnataka bus crash survivors recount moments of horror

Karnataka bus fire

“Saw fire all around. People were screaming.” That’s how a survivor described the moments after a private sleeper bus burst into flames following a collision with a truck in Chitradurga district early Thursday. At least nine people were charred to death, and several others were injured in the crash on National Highway-48.

The bus was travelling from Bengaluru to Shivamogga when it collided with the truck, triggering a massive fire that quickly engulfed the vehicle. Flames spread rapidly through the sleeper coach, trapping passengers inside and making rescue efforts extremely difficult. The bus was completely gutted.

Aditya, a passenger who managed to escape, said he fell after the impact and found himself surrounded by flames. “The door couldn’t be opened. We broke the glass and tried to get out. Some people were helping others, but the fire spread very fast,” NDTV quoted him as saying.

Eyewitness Sachin said the bus had overtaken his vehicle shortly before a container truck from the opposite direction crossed the divider and rammed into it, possibly hitting the bus near its diesel tank, according to NDTV.

Another commuter said the accident caused traffic to pile up for nearly eight kilometres, urging travellers to avoid the route.

Police said preliminary findings suggest the truck may have struck the bus’s fuel tank, causing diesel to spill and ignite. The truck driver was also among those killed, officials added, noting that only a few passengers escaped the blaze.