Chitradurga: Private sleeper bus catches fire after truck crosses divider; at least 17 burnt alive
Chitradurga: At least 17 passengers were burnt alive in a horrific road accident that occurred in the early hours of Thursday near Gorlattu Cross in Hiriyur taluk of Chitradurga district on National Highway–48.
The tragedy took place when a container truck crossed the road divider and rammed into a private sleeper coach bus coming from the opposite direction. Due to the severity of the collision, the bus immediately caught fire and was engulfed in flames within minutes.
According to police, the rapid spread of fire prevented several passengers from escaping, leading to massive loss of life. Many others sustained serious injuries, and officials fear that the death toll may rise.
The truck was travelling from Hiriyur towards Bengaluru, while the bus was on its way from Bengaluru to Shivamogga. Preliminary investigations indicate that negligence on the part of the truck driver caused the accident. The truck driver, identified as Kuldeep, died on the spot.
Police stated that the sleeper coach bus had a seating capacity of 32 and was carrying 29 passengers at the time of the accident, including 15 women and 14 men. Most of the passengers were residents of Gokarna in Uttara Kannada district, while others were from Kumta and Shivamogga.
The bus driver, conductor, and a few passengers reportedly managed to escape by jumping out of the bus in time, thereby saving their lives.
The accident resulted in a massive traffic jam stretching nearly 30 kilometres on National Highway–48, with vehicles stranded for several hours.
The injured have been admitted to nearby hospitals, and the condition of some is said to be critical.
Chitradurga Superintendent of Police Ranjith visited the accident site and conducted an inspection. A case has been registered at the Hiriyur Rural Police Station, and further investigation is underway.
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ISRO launches its heaviest satellite on ‘Bahubali’ rocket
Bengaluru: Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) on Wednesday successfully launched its heaviest satellite to date, marking a major milestone in India’s space programme.
According to a report published by The New Indian Express, the Launch Vehicle Mark-3 (LVM3)-M6 rocket lifted off with the 6.10-tonne BlueBird-6 Block-2 communication satellite of US-based AST SpaceMobile (AST and Science, LLC) and released it accurately in the 518.50 km altitude circular Low Earth Orbit (LEO).
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The launch took place at 8.55 am and the satellite released in its orbit at 9.11 am in what ISRO scientists described as a “textbook launch”.
ISRO Chairman V Narayanan reportedly said this was the third commercial launch using the LVM3 rocket and the first time it was used exclusively for a foreign communication satellite. He said that this mission was also the ninth launch mission of the LVM3, with all launches so far being successful.
Until now, ISRO’s heaviest launch was the 4.40-tonne GSAT-7R satellite placed in orbit in November 2025 for the Indian Navy. The BlueBird-6 satellite now surpasses that record, making it the heaviest payload launched by ISRO.
Explaining the BlueBird Block-2 Mission, the team said the satellite, which will be a part of a constellation of other similar satellites under the mission will provide faster 4G and 5G services and video calls. It also aims at enhancing network connectivity with locations where there were hassles earlier. AST SpaceMobile has launched five satellites, Bluebird 1-5 in September 2024, which provide continuous coverage across the US and other select countries.
As per the report, the LVM3-M6 has injected the satellite in the 518.50 km circular LEO orbit at a 53-degree inclination to the equator. It is just 1.5 km lower than the designated orbit, and is considered accurate. This precise placement is also an achievement marked by the ISRO team, said Narayanan.
The satellite had arrived at Sriharikota in October, and the launch was earlier postponed due to technical reasons before being successfully carried out on December 24, officials said.
