Overview
- Police confirm nine fatalities, including the tanker driver, and several injured after a pre-dawn crash near Hiriyur in Chitradurga.
- Investigators say a fuel tanker jumped the median and struck a private sleeper bus, igniting a fire.
- The bus was traveling from Bengaluru to Gokarna via Shivamogga with about 32 people aboard.
- Karnataka’s chief minister announced ₹5 lakh for each deceased and ₹50,000 for the injured, while the prime minister approved ₹2 lakh from PMNRF and ₹50,000 for the injured.
- A school bus carrying 48 students collided with the burning vehicle with no child hurt, its driver is assisting police as an eyewitness, and one victim with about 20% burns was referred to Victoria Hospital in Bengaluru.