48 Children Escape Unhurt As School Bus Crashes Burnt Coach That Killed 10 In Chitradurga

A major tragedy was narrowly avoided on National Highway 48 in Karnataka's Chitradurga district on Thursday when a school bus carrying 48 students collided with a sleeper coach that had already been engulfed in flames following a collision with a lorry that killed at least nine people. However, all the schoolchildren escaped unhurt, bringing a moment of relief amid the devastation.

The incident occurred at Gorlathu Cross in Hiriyur taluk, where a private sleeper bus was involved in a catastrophic collision with a container lorry. According to police, the lorry jumped the central divider and rammed into the bus, triggering a massive fire that trapped several passengers inside. As the burning bus lay on the highway, a school bus travelling parallel to it from T Dasarahalli to Dandeli collided with the charred vehicle.

Fortunately, the school bus did not catch fire. All 48 students on board were safely evacuated, and none of them sustained injuries. The school bus driver, who witnessed the entire sequence of events, has since been identified as a key eyewitness, and his statement is being recorded by investigators.

Speaking to ANI, Inspector General of Police Dr B R Ravikante Gowda said the accident unfolded within seconds. "A sleeper bus was going towards Gokarna when a fuel tanker container jumped the divider and hit it. As per preliminary investigation, eight passengers and the container driver died. In total, nine people have lost their lives," he said. He added that one of the injured victims, who suffered nearly 20 per cent burns, was referred to Victoria Hospital in Bengaluru for advanced treatment.

Police said there were around 32 people on the sleeper bus, including the driver and conductor. While some managed to escape by jumping out before the fire spread, several others were trapped inside as the bus was gutted. The lorry driver, identified as Kuldeep, died on the spot.

The crash caused massive traffic disruptions on NH-48, with vehicles stranded for hours and congestion stretching several kilometres towards Shira. Senior police officials, including Chitradurga Superintendent of Police Ranjith, visited the accident site. A case has been registered at the Hiriyur Rural Police Station, and further investigation is underway to determine the exact cause of the collision.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed deep sorrow over the loss of lives and announced an ex gratia of Rs 2 lakh each for the families of the deceased. In a message shared by the Prime Minister's Office, he conveyed condolences to the bereaved families and wished a speedy recovery to the injured.

While the fatal crash has once again raised concerns over highway safety and reckless driving, the safe escape of the schoolchildren stood out as a rare piece of good news in an otherwise tragic incident.