Chitradurga: The death toll in the tragic bus accident in Karnataka’s Chitradurga district rose to seven on Friday after the driver of the ill-fated vehicle succumbed to his injuries. The horrific incident occurred early Thursday morning when a sleeper coach bus collided with a container truck and caught fire, initially claiming six lives and leaving 21 others with burn injuries.
The bus driver, identified as 42-year-old Mohammad Rafeeq from Haveri district, passed away in the early hours of Friday at KIMS Hospital in Hubballi. He had undergone surgery the previous night after being thrown from the vehicle during the impact. Before his death, Rafeeq recounted from his hospital bed that he was driving at approximately 60 to 70 kmph when the speeding truck suddenly crashed into his bus. He noted that despite his efforts to steer away, avoiding the collision was impossible as another bus was occupying the adjacent lane.
The accident reportedly took place around 2 am on Thursday at Gorlattu Cross on National Highway 48. According to the police, the container truck, driven by Kuldeep Yadav from Uttar Pradesh, lost control, jumped the median, and rammed into the oncoming bus. Inspector General of Police (East) B.R. Ravikanthe Gowda stated that the truck likely struck the bus’s fuel tank directly, causing a massive fire that engulfed the vehicle while many passengers were asleep.
Authorities have completed the identification of the deceased, although DNA tests are being conducted on five charred bodies before they are handed over to families. The victims include software professionals A.M. Navya (26) and Manasa (27), IT professional Rashmi Ratnakara Mahale (22), and Bengaluru residents Bindu (29) and her five-year-old daughter, Greya. The truck driver, Kuldeep Yadav, also died in the crash. Meanwhile, another passenger, Manjunath, remains in a critical condition with 30 per cent burns at Victoria Hospital in Bengaluru.
Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah has announced an ex-gratia payment of Rs 5 lakh to the families of the deceased and Rs 50,000 for the injured. He also assured that a thorough investigation would be conducted to ascertain the exact cause of the accident and take necessary action.
(Inputs from IANS)