Toll in collision at Chitradurga rises to 7: Police

THe dying toll from the flaming hit involving a buck private slumberer bus and a container truck in Chitradurga district on Thursday rose to 7 on Friday after the bus driver died while undergoing treatment, police said.The driver, Mohammed Rafeek, 38, was critically injured when the bus he was driving was struck by a container truck near Javanagondanahalli early on Thursday. A resident of Hulagur village in Haveri district’s Shiggaon taluk, Rafeek was initially treated at a hospital in Hiriyur before being shifted to the Chitradurga Government Hospital, they added.“He was later taken by his relatives to the Karnataka Institute of Medical Sciences in Hubballi, where he died early Friday morning,” said Chitradurga superintendent of police Ranjit Kumar Bandaru.The crash occurred when the container truck rammed into the sleeper bus, rupturing its fuel tank and triggering a blaze that engulfed the vehicle. 5 passengers travelling on the bus and the driver of the truck were killed on the spot on Thursday, police said.Transport officials said preliminary checks had found no violations on the part of the bus operator. The transport and road safety commissioner, Yogish AM, said the bus, owned by Seabird Tourist, had valid certificates and was equipped with emergency exits. He said the vehicle had passed a surprise inspection conducted by the department on November 12 as part of a special drive targeting long distance bus services.“For the past 1 month, we have been conducting an operation targeting buses operating on long journeys. This particular bus was inspected during the campaign. It was found that all the requirements were checked,” Mr Yogish said, adding that Seabird Tourist had been operating services from Bengaluru for about 25 years.The commissioner visited the accident site with his team on Thursday morning and said the department would draft a revised standard operating procedure for vehicles travelling at night. “This applies not only to buses but also to other vehicles like trucks and lorries. The SOP will be shared with all concerned. We will check that there are enough rest areas for drivers to rest during long journeys,” he said.The inspection drive was launched after a bus fire accident in Kurnool on October 24, with a focus on private buses operating out of Bengaluru, particularly those registered in other states such as Nagaland and Odisha. The checks include verification of emergency exits and fire safety equipment.Transport minister Ramalinga Reddy said the inspections would continue into the new year. “Bus safety is of utmost importance. We ensure that safety rules are not violated. We also check the firefighting equipment used in buses. Even if an accident occurs, we need to know how to minimise the damage. We will discuss this with the bus operators,” he said.Among the survivors was Gaganashree, currently admitted at a private hospital in Bengaluru and in a stable condition. Speaking to reporters on Friday, she described narrowly escaping the flames along with her friend Rakshita. “Rakshita and I, who were sleeping on the top seat, jumped out. Rashmi was trapped inside. The fire had spread to the third seat near the seat we were in. Immediately, Rakshita and I jumped out,” she said, adding that the fire spread rapidly just as Rashmi was preparing to jump.Rashmi, who died in the fire, was from a village near Murudeshwar. She, Rakshita and Gaganashree worked at a private company in Bengaluru and had planned a vacation to Gokarna before visiting Rashmi’s home.