Bus fires kill 64 nationwide since 2021; Karnataka sees three incidents

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Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari said that betwixt  January 1, 2021 and December 10, 2025, arsenic  galore  arsenic  45 incidents were reported nationwide successful  which each  benignant  of buses caught occurrence  portion    successful  operation.

Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari said that betwixt January 1, 2021 and December 10, 2025, arsenic galore arsenic 45 incidents were reported nationwide successful which each benignant of buses caught occurrence portion successful operation. | Photo Credit: SPECIAL ARRANGEMENT

Bus occurrence accidents person claimed 64 lives and near 145 radical injured crossed the country, portion Karnataka unsocial reported 3 specified fire-related autobus incidents successful which 14 radical were injured betwixt January 1, 2021, and December 10, 2025, according to information from the Union Ministry of Road Transport and Highways.

This excludes astatine slightest six radical who were killed aft a instrumentality motortruck rammed the Bengaluru-bound bus, triggering a occurrence that rapidly engulfed the conveyance and near passengers with small clip to flight connected Thursday, December, 25.

In a written reply to an unstarred question successful the Rajya Sabha answered connected December 17, Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari said that betwixt January 1, 2021 and December 10, 2025, arsenic galore arsenic 45 incidents were reported nationwide successful which each benignant of buses caught occurrence portion successful operation. These incidents resulted successful 64 deaths and 145 injuries, excluding a abstracted lawsuit successful Kurnool connected October 24, 2025, successful which a autobus collision with a motorcycle subsequently led to a occurrence that killed 20 people.

During the aforesaid period, Karnataka unsocial reported 3 specified fire-related autobus incidents, successful which 14 radical were injured.

Gaps successful regularisation and enforcement

Transport experts reason that these numbers constituent to systemic gaps successful regularisation and enforcement. Experts called for broad information audits by Transport Departments, with a peculiar absorption connected sleeper buses, followed by strict implementation of norms and continuous monitoring.

According to Transport adept M.N. Srihari, galore sleeper autobus bodies are built utilizing low-quality composite materials that are highly inflammable. “There is hardly immoderate clang investigating of the afloat built bus. In immoderate cases, unsafe modifications specified arsenic the installation of further substance tanks are carried out,” helium said.

Mr. Srihari added that brushed furnishings including curtains, mattresses, and interior partitions are often made of combustible materials, importantly expanding occurrence risk.

Another captious gap, helium said, lies successful operator preparedness. “Drivers are often not trained to grip exigency situations similar fires oregon collisions. In a sleeper bus, wherever passengers are dormant and disoriented, each 2nd counts,” helium said.

Published - December 25, 2025 09:25 p.m. IST

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