Christmas Day Tragedy: 10 Dead as Bus Catches Fire in Karnataka

State Response: PM Modi Announces Ex-Gratia for Victims

The thing is, what was supposed to be a peaceful holiday journey turned into a horrific nightmare on Christmas morning. Basically, at least 10 people—including eight passengers and the truck driver—were burned alive in the early hours of Thursday, December 25, 2025.

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Actually, the private sleeper bus, operated by Seabird Coach, was travelling from Bengaluru to Shivamogga/Gokarna when a container truck coming from the opposite direction jumped the divider on National Highway-48 and rammed directly into the bus’s fuel tank.² As a result, the vehicle was instantly engulfed in a massive fireball near Hiriyur in Chitradurga district (let’s be real, at 2:30 AM, most people didn’t even have a second to react).

And here’s the kicker. A second bus filled with 45 schoolchildren narrowly avoided being part of the pile-up.

Specifically, the school bus was trailing just behind the Seabird coach. Instead of a secondary collision, the alert driver swerved to the other side of the road, preventing what could have been a much higher death toll.

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In fact, survivors from the burning bus described a scene of pure chaos, where passengers had to break window panes with their bare hands to jump out before the flames reached the upper berths. Consequently, while 21 people were rescued and shifted to hospitals in Hiriyur and Tumakuru, those in deep sleep near the point of impact never stood a chance (those too).

[Table: Casualties & Relief Summary – Chitradurga Crash]

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In fact, the investigation is pointing toward a common but deadly factor: driver fatigue. The thing is, Inspector General of Police Ravikanthe Gowda noted that the truck driver likely fell asleep at the wheel, causing the heavy vehicle to veer across the median.

Actually, the impact was so precise on the diesel tank that the fuel “gushed out” and ignited immediately. As a result, the Karnataka government has ordered a high-level probe by the Transport Commissioner to check the safety certifications of both vehicles.

The thing is, the political reaction was swift on this solemn morning. Basically, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, currently overseeing several year-end summits, expressed his “deep sadness” and immediately sanctioned financial aid from the PM National Relief Fund. Instead of a standard investigation,

Deputy CM DK Shivakumar and BJP State President Vijayendra have called for stricter highway monitoring during night hours to prevent such “divider-jumping” accidents.

And then Y followed. With traffic on the Tumkur-Chitradurga stretch backed up for 8 kilometers, it took nearly four hours for emergency teams to clear the charred remains. Consequently, this tragedy serves as a grim reminder of the risks of night travel during the winter holiday rush.

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