At least 17 people are feared to have lost their lives in a tragic road accident on National Highway 48 in Karnataka’s Chitradurga district after a private sleeper bus was engulfed in flames following a collision with a lorry, police officials said on Thursday.

The accident took place near Gorlathu Cross in Hiriyur taluk when a lorry travelling from Hiriyur towards Bengaluru reportedly crossed the central divider and crashed into a sleeper coach coming from the opposite direction. The bus was en route from Bengaluru to Shivamogga at the time of the impact.

The force of the collision caused the bus to catch fire on the highway, trapping several passengers inside. Visuals from the site showed the sleeper coach completely gutted, making rescue operations extremely challenging. Some passengers managed to escape but sustained serious injuries and were rushed to a nearby hospital for treatment.

Authorities said the exact death toll will be confirmed after a detailed assessment. Initial investigations suggest negligence on the part of the lorry driver, though further inquiries are ongoing to establish the precise cause of the crash.

Chitradurga Superintendent of Police Ranjith visited the accident site and is supervising the investigation. A case has been registered at the Hiriyur Rural Police Station, and officials are reconstructing the sequence of events leading to the collision.

Traffic on the busy stretch of National Highway 48 was severely affected for several hours as emergency teams carried out rescue, recovery, and debris-clearing operations.