Mysuru, Oct 16: At least four people were killed on the spot, and more than 20 others were seriously injured when a private sleeper bus and a truck collided head-on near Kirnal Gate in Piriyapatna taluk of Karnataka's Mysuru district in the early hours of Friday.
Some of the injured are said to be in critical condition.
The accident occurred at around 3.30 a.m. when the truck was travelling from Piriyapatna towards Mysuru, and the sleeper bus was heading from Mysuru towards Kerala.
The deceased have been identified as bus driver Sunil, conductor Sunaad, both from Karnataka, and passenger Aftab, a resident of Kozhikode in Kerala. The identity of the fourth deceased is yet to be established, police said.
The bus driver died at the scene, with one of his legs trapped in the wreckage.
Following the collision, local residents and passers-by rushed to the spot to help the victims. The bodies of the deceased were shifted to the Piriyapatna public hospital, while the injured were admitted to the same hospital for treatment.
Doctors and hospital staff are providing emergency treatment, and some victims may be shifted to other hospitals for advanced treatment.
Police and rescue teams rushed to the spot soon after the accident and initiated rescue operations. Several passengers were travelling in the sleeper bus, and the accident occurred while many of them were asleep. The truck drivers were also among those injured, according to reports.
The impact was so severe that two people died on the spot, while two others were declared brought dead at a hospital. Of the 31 injured passengers, three are said to be seriously injured and are undergoing treatment at different hospitals, he said.
Police have launched an investigation into the incident. Further details are yet to emerge regarding the tragedy.
It can be noted that an eight-year-old girl was killed, and 16 others were injured after a private bus allegedly lost control and veered into a roadside field near Hubballi in Karnataka early on Thursday. The bus, travelling from Mumbai to Bengaluru, was carrying 26 passengers. The driver was among those injured, and 16 people are undergoing treatment.
The accident occurred around 3 a.m., shortly after the bus crossed Chabbi Cross. Police said the driver allegedly lost control of the vehicle, causing it to leave the road and enter a field.
--IANS