Tragic Collision: Sleeper Bus Inferno Claims Five Lives

A severe accident in Hiriyur resulted in a bus bursting into flames after being struck by an overspeeding truck, killing five people. Survivors, including the bus driver Rafiq and cleaner Mohammed Sadiq, recount their harrowing escape as the impact threw them from the vehicle.

A tragic collision near Hiriyur claimed five lives in the early hours of Thursday, when an overspeeding container truck crashed into a private luxury sleeper bus, igniting a deadly blaze. The collision, which initially was reported to have caused nine fatalities, was later confirmed by police to have resulted in five deaths.

Rafiq, the bus driver, recalled his futile attempt to control the vehicle upon spotting the truck veering from the opposite direction. Despite adhering to a modest speed of 60-70 km/hr, the impact led to a fiery disaster. 'I saw the vehicle coming from the front, tried to control the bus, but couldn't,' he recounted.

Mohammed Sadiq, the bus cleaner who suffered minor injuries and was ejected from the vehicle, described the horror as the truck rammed into the diesel tank. He was thrown out by the impact, breaking the bus's glass. Both he and Rafiq are currently receiving medical treatment.

(With inputs from agencies.)