12 charred to death, 20 face burn injury as private bus catches fire in Karnataka

At least 12 people were charred to death, and over 20 others suffered burn injuries after a private bus caught on fire near Hiriyur in Karnataka’s Chitradurga district on Thursday.

According to the initial reports obtained by CNN-News18, the bus was involved in a collision with a container vehicle, which triggered a massive fire.

The fire started to spread rapidly, leaving several passengers trapped inside. According to CNN-News18, the bus belonged to a private entity called Sea Bird. As per the report, there were 32 passengers onboard at the time of the crash.

The authorities reached the location as soon as the news of the fire came out, and 20 wounded people were rushed to nearby hospitals. Officials noted that the burn injuries are so severe that the death toll is feared to increase.

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This is Horrible 💔

A tragic accident occurred involving a #Bengaluru – #Goa AC bus and a lorry near #Hiriyuru on the NH highway at around 1:00 AM on 25 December 2025.
Lorry misjudged the road and crossed the divider, leading to a severe collision. The AC bus was completely… pic.twitter.com/SGnnS67Ar2

— Ballari Tweetz (@TweetzBallari) December 25, 2025

Lorry driver may have fallen asleep: Police

Videos circulating online showed locals trying to control the fire as a massive blaze took over the site of the accident. Rescue and relief operations were immediately launched, with local authorities and emergency services rushing to the spot.

The cause of the fire is yet to be determined, and further details are awaited as the investigation continues. The private sleeper coach bus was travelling from Bengaluru to Gokarna when it was hit head-on by a container lorry and immediately went up in flames, police said.

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“The container lorry jumped over the divider and hit the bus. The lorry driver is dead. There were 32 people on the bus. We have 21 people injured in the hospital, and we are looking for more people," the Chitradurga Police said in a statement on Thursday, noting that the lorry driver may have fallen asleep behind the wheel.

One of the survivors told India Today that the bus left at 11:30 pm on Wednesday, and the tragic accident took place around 2:00 am. “I fell down after the accident, broke the glass and managed to get out. Many people were screaming, but by then the fire had engulfed the bus,” the survivor told the news outlet.

PM Modi extends condolences

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday condoled the loss of lives in a road accident in Karnataka’s Chitradurga and announced an ex gratia of Rs 2 lakh from the Prime Minister’s National Relief Fund (PMNRF) to the deceased and Rs 50,000 to the injured.

“Deeply saddened by the loss of lives due to a mishap in the Chitradurga district of Karnataka. Condolences to those who have lost their loved ones. May those injured recover at the earliest,” he wrote in a statement.

With inputs from PTI.