More than 11 people were feared dead when a container truck hit a luxury sleeper bus on National Highway 48, near Hiriyur in Karnataka’s Chitradurga district early morning on Thursday (December 25, 2025).

The private bus was heading to Gokarna from Bengaluru via Shivamogga, when it was engulfed in flames after the truck collided with it from behind. A few passengers escaped by jumping out of the burning vehicle.

Reports says the truck driver’s negligence was the cause of the accident, which occurred on the highway that connects Bengaluru with Pune and Mumbai. The truck driver jumped a road-divider, lost control of the vehicle and collided with the oncoming bus.

Local police reached the site and the injured have been shifted to nearby hospitals. Senior police officers of Tumakuru and Chitradurga visited the incident spot, while fire tenders were called in to put off the flames.

Initial reports point to over-speeding as the primary cause of the crash, Transport Minister Ramalinga Reddy told . Transport Commissioner Yogeshwar and Assistant Commissioner Omkareshwari have been directed to visit the accident site and conduct a spot inspection to assess the situation and submit a detailed report, Mr. Reddy added.