A tragic road accident in Karnataka’s Bengaluru Rural district on Friday claimed the lives of four people, including two children, when an Andhra Pradesh RTC bus collided with a truck at Gottipura Gate in Hoskote taluk. The bus, traveling from Tirupati to Bengaluru, reportedly crashed while overtaking another vehicle on the highway between Kolar and Hoskote. Preliminary investigations suggest the driver may have dozed off, leading to the fatal collision. The deceased were identified as 44-year-old Keshava Reddy, 21-year-old Tulasi, four-year-old Pranathi, and one-year-old Maria, all from Chittoor district in Andhra Pradesh. Sixteen other passengers were injured, with at least two reported to be in critical condition, as authorities launched a full-scale investigation into the crash.
This heartbreaking accident is the latest in a series of deadly road mishaps that have plagued Karnataka in recent weeks. On May 21, a catastrophic multi-vehicle accident in Vijayapura district involving an SUV, a bus, and a truck left six people dead. Earlier, on May 12, another crash in Chitradurga district near the Kanive Anjaneya temple resulted in three deaths after an Innova car collided head-on with a truck, leaving the vehicle completely mangled. In yet another incident, a speeding tempo struck a motorcycle in Hoskote taluk, leading to two deaths and one person critically injured. These repeated tragedies highlight a worrying trend of fatal overspeeding, drowsy driving, and traffic rule violations on Karnataka’s highways.
The Bengaluru Rural incident has sparked renewed calls for stricter enforcement of highway safety norms and better rest schedules for long-distance public transport drivers. Transport authorities have been urged to review driver fatigue protocols and initiate awareness campaigns on safe driving practices. Meanwhile, families of the deceased have been left devastated, and local leaders are demanding compensation and accountability from transport departments. As emergency responders continue to assist the injured and investigate the crash, this latest mishap serves as another grim reminder of the urgent need for systemic reform in India’s road safety infrastructure.
