Chitradurga, Dec 25 (NationPress) In a devastating incident on Christmas Day, at least nine individuals lost their lives and 21 others sustained injuries after a sleeper coach bus erupted in flames following a collision with a truck in the Chitradurga district of Karnataka during the early hours of Thursday.

As reported by the police, the crash occurred around 2 a.m. at Gorlattu Cross on National Highway 48 when a truck traveling from the opposite direction veered off the road and collided with the bus after the driver lost control.

Initial investigations indicate that eight passengers on the bus are feared dead.

The truck driver, identified as Kuldeep, also perished in the accident. Fortunately, several passengers managed to escape the bus before it was consumed by flames.

IGP (East) B.R. Ravikanthe Gowda confirmed on Thursday that the incident occurred around 2 a.m. when a private sleeper coach bus from Sea Bird was struck by a container truck that crossed the divider and crashed into it with significant force.

“We suspect that the truck directly impacted the bus's fuel tank. Following the resulting fuel leak, the bus was engulfed in flames,” he explained.

“While some passengers escaped, those who were asleep -- totaling eight passengers -- became trapped inside the vehicle. The truck driver also died as a result of the crash. Preliminary reports indicate that a total of nine lives were lost, including eight bus passengers and the truck driver,” stated IGP Gowda.

Among the injured, 11 individuals were transported to a hospital in Hiriyur town, nine were moved to a facility in Sira town, and three were taken to a hospital in Tumakuru city. One of the injured sustained 15 to 20 percent burn injuries and has been transferred to Victoria Hospital in Bengaluru. All other injured parties are reportedly stable, he noted.

“A total of 32 individuals, including the driver and assistant, were on board the bus. Reports are emerging about a burned body of a baby being discovered,” he added.

The bodies will be retrieved from the bus, and DNA experts from Bengaluru have arrived on-site, alongside the local Scene of Crime Officers (SOCO) team. Post-mortem examinations will be conducted, DNA samples will be obtained, and identification processes will be initiated to ensure the bodies are returned to their families promptly, he stated.

According to the police, the private Sea Bird sleeper coach bus was en route from Bengaluru to the coastal town of Gokarna when it was struck by the truck.

The identities of those deceased are still being verified, and authorities are gathering further information.

Authorities noted that the accident was caused by the negligence of the truck driver. The driver and assistant of the bus escaped without injuries. The truck driver was reported to be from Uttar Pradesh.

The crash caused significant traffic disruptions along the Bengaluru–Sira stretch of the highway for several hours.

Additionally, a bus carrying school children on an academic tour, which was trailing the affected bus, narrowly avoided the collision. Ongoing investigations are underway, and more information will be provided as it becomes available.