Five people, including two children, died and several others suffered serious injuries when a private bus caught fire near K.R. Halli near Hiriyur in Chitradurga district early on August 12.
The vehicle belonged to Kukke Travels and was going from Bijapur to Bengaluru with 35 passengers onboard.
The local police rushed to the spot and shifted the injured people to hospitals at Hiriyur and Chitradurga.
The names and other details of the dead are yet to be ascertained.
Chitradurga SP G. Radhika said that only two passengers suffered minor injuries and they were treated at Hiriyur taluk hospital.
“The fire was first spotted in the engine. A passenger noticed it and informed the driver to stop the vehicle. Within a few minutes, all got down, except the five people, who were in deep sleep. I am told other passengers tried to wake them up, but by the time they could get down the whole bus caught fire,” the officer told The Hindu.
The reason for the fire is not yet known. The police have asked the RTO officials to inspect the vehicle.
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