Bengaluru, Dec 25 (NationPress) In a devastating incident on Christmas Day, a sleeper bus caught fire after colliding with a container truck, resulting in the loss of six lives and leaving 21 individuals injured in Chitradurga district, Karnataka, during the early hours of Thursday.

The Superintendent of Police, Ranjit Kumar Bandaru, confirmed that the death toll from this tragic bus accident is six, among whom are four women, a child, and the truck driver.

“We have recovered five bodies from the Sea Bird sleeper coach bus, which was completely consumed by flames due to the collision. Additionally, one body has been found in the container truck, totalling six fatalities,” the SP stated.

The deceased have been identified as Bindu, her daughter Greya, Manasa, Navya, and Rashmi. Efforts are ongoing to assist relatives in identifying the bodies, particularly as Navya and Manasa, who were friends, are confused due to their exchanged jewelry.

A total of 32 people, including the driver and conductor, were aboard the bus, with 28 having pre-booked tickets and two joining after departure. Notably, the child's details were not listed as she was traveling with her mother. Both the bus driver and conductor survived.

One passenger who had booked in advance did not board the bus, thus excluded from the passenger count.

As the incident unfolded, a couple, Nasrat Unnisa and Syed Zameer Ghouse, who were initially unaccounted for, later confirmed their safety from Sira town.

Forensic experts later clarified that the child's remains were distinct and not part of another body, allowing for accurate counting.

The tragic event occurred around 2 a.m. at Gorlattu Cross on National Highway 48, when a container truck, after losing control, crossed the divider and collided with the bus.

The truck driver has been identified as Kuldeep Yadav from Uttar Pradesh.

While some passengers managed to escape the flames, others, who were deeply asleep, found themselves trapped.

Inspector General of Police (East) B.R. Ravikanthe Gowda elaborated that the truck struck the bus's fuel tank, leading to the fire that engulfed the vehicle.

The Sea Bird sleeper coach bus was en route from Bengaluru to Gokarna when the accident occurred, causing significant traffic disruption on the Bengaluru–Sira stretch.

Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah has announced compensation of Rs 5 lakh for the families of the deceased and Rs 50,000 for the injured.

Authorities are set to investigate the precise circumstances surrounding the accident.

Additionally, a bus carrying schoolchildren was fortunate to narrowly avoid the tragedy. The driver of that bus witnessed the collision and managed to rescue seven passengers before the bus exploded.

Survivors recounted harrowing experiences. Bus driver Mohammad Rafeeq recalled a truck speeding towards them and the chaos that ensued after the impact.

His assistant, Mohammad Sadiq, also escaped the wreckage after being thrown from the bus due to the collision.