In the Hosanagara taluk of Shivamogga district, on Tuesday night, a gruesome accident involving a private sleeper bus near Suduru occurred. The bus was owned by Annapurneshwari Travels and was totally consumed by a rapid fire, though a major tragedy was averted thanks to the presence of mind of the driver and passengers.
The private sleeper bus was en route to Bengaluru from Nittur when a fire broke out in the vehicle. While crossing the Suduru area in Hosanagara, the fire was first noticed. When the driver observed the danger, he quickly tried to pull over to the side of the road. This emergency maneuver later caused the bus to lose control and crash into a roadside tree, which helped to spread the flames faster.
Narrow Escape for 36 Passengers
At the time of the crash, 36 people were on board. As smoke spread through the cabin, panic swept over the passengers, but they were able to evacuate the vehicle quickly through the doors and emergency exits, before the fire engulfed the entire bus. Most of the passengers escaped unscathed, although 4 to 5 passengers were left with burn injuries and various levels of trauma from the crash.
Local residents and emergency rescue workers arrived on the scene to help the victims. The injured were immediately taken to the McGann District Hospital in Shivamogga for medical assistance. Total Loss of Property. Although fire tenders arrived, the fire became so severe that the bus was turned into a charred metallic skeleton within minutes. The 36 passengers’ belongings including personal belongings, luggage and documents, were mostly consumed by the fire.
Recent Spate of Bus Accidents
The incident also sent a chill down the state after another major bus accident close to Chitradurga on December 25, 2025, where a collision with a truck caused a fatal fire. The Hosanagara incident led the local police to register a case, and there remains an ongoing investigation into the initial cause of the fire one preliminary point is a possible short circuit in the bus's electrical system or perhaps an engine overheating.
