BENGALURU: Four people were killed on the spot in a tragic road accident on the Bengaluru-Mysuru Expressway near Sankalagere village in Channapatna taluk of Karnataka's Ramanagara district on Monday.
The deceased have been identified as 22-year-old Mohammed Farhan and 45-year-old Sulfi from Kozhikode in Kerala, and 45-year-old Rasheed, a resident of Kalasipalya in Bengaluru, along with Saker from Annepalya in Adugodi.
According to police, a private bus operated by PK Travels, which was travelling from Calicut in Kerala to Bengaluru, lost control and crashed into roadside fencing around 4.10 am Preliminary investigation suggests that the driver may have dozed off, leading to the accident.
The impact of the collision was severe, killing four passengers instantly.
Two others, identified as Abdul and Allen from Kannur in Kerala, sustained injuries and have been admitted to the hospital for treatment.
Police said the bus departed from Calicut late Sunday night and was carrying a total of 42 passengers at the time of the incident. The force of the crash was such that the bus continued moving for nearly 100 metres even after hitting the fencing.
Officials noted that the absence of a crash barrier could have led to even greater loss of life, but a major tragedy was narrowly averted.
Channapatna traffic police rushed to the spot, conducted an inspection, and registered a case. The driver, identified as Riyaz, has been taken into custody for questioning.
The bodies of the deceased and the injured have been shifted to the Channapatna Government Hospital. Further investigation is underway.
On December 25, 2025, in a major tragedy on Christmas Day, at least six persons, including a five-year-old girl, were burnt alive, and 21 others were injured after a sleeper coach caught fire following a collision with a container truck on National Highway 48, at Javanagondanahalli in Chitradurga district.
A total of 32 persons, including the driver and conductor, were travelling in the bus. Of these 28 had booked tickets in advance, while two passengers boarded the bus after the journey began. Several passengers managed to escape from the bus after it caught fire.