Nine killed as truck smashes into sleeper bus in Karnataka, fire traps passengers
The bus, carrying 32 passengers and travelling towards Gokarna, was “engulfed in flames under the impact of the collision,” East Zone Inspector General of Police Ravikanthe Gowda told reporters. Most of the victims were trapped inside and died in the blaze.
- Dec 25, 2025,
- Updated Dec 25, 2025, 9:23 AM IST
At least nine people were killed after a speeding truck jumped a road divider and rammed into a luxury sleeper bus in Karnataka’s Tumakuru district early on December 25, triggering a fire that gutted the vehicle, police said.
The bus, carrying 32 passengers and travelling towards Gokarna, was “engulfed in flames under the impact of the collision,” East Zone Inspector General of Police Ravikanthe Gowda told reporters. Most of the victims were trapped inside and died in the blaze.
According to police, the truck crossed the median before colliding head-on with the oncoming bus. The bus driver and cleaner managed to escape, while the truck’s driver and cleaner were among those killed.
Several passengers survived by jumping from the bus moments after the crash, Gowda said. The injured were rushed to a hospital in Shira, with at least two reported to be in critical condition.
A second bus carrying 45 schoolchildren, travelling from T Dasarahalli to Dandeli and following close behind, narrowly avoided the accident. “Thankfully, the driver of the bus carrying schoolchildren drove on the other side and no one was hurt,” Gowda said.
Police have launched an investigation to determine the exact cause of the crash.