NOB-Karnataka news: A horrific road accident occurred in Karnataka. In this incident, 17 passengers were burnt alive. Several others sustained serious injuries. Upon receiving the information, the police and fire brigade personnel rushed to the accident site and launched rescue operations. A case has been registered regarding the incident. The bus was a sleeper coach belonging to Seabird Travels. It departed from Gandhinagar in Bengaluru at 8:25 AM on 24.12.2025, carrying 30 passengers, bound for Gokarna. Of the passengers, 25 were headed to Gokarna, two to Shivamogga, and two to Kumta. The accident occurred around 2:45 AM in Chitradurga district. The bus lost control on National Highway 48 near Javanagondanahalli-Goratlu Cross, close to Hiriyur, and collided with a large container truck at high speed. Immediately, the bus caught fire. Due to the severity of the collision, the flames spread throughout the bus within moments, leaving no chance for escape. The container truck also caught fire. In this incident, 17 passengers were burnt alive. Several others were seriously injured. As many passengers were asleep at the time of the accident, they had no opportunity to escape. Ten people managed to escape from the suddenly erupting flames with burn injuries by breaking the windows. Due to the intensity of the flames, more than 17 passengers in the bus were burnt to death. Officials have stated that the death toll is likely to rise further. Upon receiving the information, Chitradurga district police and fire brigade personnel quickly reached the scene. They worked tirelessly to bring the fire under control and carry out rescue operations. The injured passengers were immediately shifted to the Chitradurga district hospital using ambulances and are receiving emergency medical treatment. Rescue operations are currently underway in full swing. This tragic incident has caused severe traffic disruption on National Highway 48 near Javanagondanahalli. Traffic has come to a standstill for approximately 20 kilometers between Sira and Hiriyur.
