Karnataka: 9 dead as container truck rams into sleeper bus

India Dec 25, 2025

A late-night crash in Karnataka's Chitradurga district turned deadly when a speeding container truck hit a sleeper bus near Hiriyur around 2am sparking a huge fire.
Sadly, at least nine people lost their lives.
The accident occurred with passengers onboard.

Survivors' accounts and rescue efforts

The bus driver, Rafiq, and cleaner, Mohammed Sadiq, survived but are being treated for injuries.
Rafiq shared that he saw the truck coming fast from the opposite side but couldn't avoid it despite trying.
Sadiq was thrown out by the impact as the collision broke the glass and set off a fire by hitting the diesel tank.
An investigation is now underway against the truck driver to figure out exactly what went wrong.