25 Dec 2025 - 10:30
The Kabul Tribune (KT) - At least 20 people have died after a fuel tanker truck jumped the median and collided head-on with a private sleeper bus early Thursday on National Highway 48 in Chitradurga district, Karnataka, India, The Times of India reports.
The collision sparked a massive fire that engulfed the bus, trapping passengers and causing numerous casualties. The crash occurred around 3 a.m. near Gorlath Cross in Hiriyur taluk, leaving little time for escape.
Preliminary investigations suggest possible negligence by the tanker driver, who also died in the crash. Some passengers, including the bus driver and conductor, managed to escape by jumping out moments after the collision.
A school bus travelling nearby also collided with the burning wreckage, but fortunately, all students on board escaped unharmed. The sleeper bus was carrying 29 passengers, including 15 women and 14 men, and a case has been registered at the Hiriyur Rural police station.
