Five dead as bus catches fire in Karnataka's Chitradurga

CHITRADURGA: Two sisters and their three children who had been to their parents' house in Vijayapura for Krishna Janmashtami celebrations died when their Bengaluru-bound bus caught fire on NH-48 in Chitradurga district's Hiriyur taluk around 4am on Wednesday.
At least 24 other passengers suffered injuries when the bus, operated by Kukke Shree Travels, caught fire near KR Halli Gate.The sleeper coach with 29 passengers left Vijayapura at 9pm Tuesday. Passengers said the fire started in the midsection of the bus; a probe will shed more light on this, said a district fire officer.
Three passengers are being treated at Hiriyur government hospital and one critical case was shifted to a hospital in Bengaluru. Twenty passengers, who were treated in a public health centre and Chitradurga district hospital, are said to be out of danger. Police identified the deceased as Kavitha, 29, her daughter Nischita, 3; Sheela, 33, and her children Sparsha, 8, and Samruddh, 5. "Kavitha and Sheela were siblings and were returning to Bengaluru after celebrating Janmashtami with their parents in Vijayapura," police said.
An official said Kavitha texted her husband around 3.30am saying they were near Chitradurga and would reach Bengaluru in three hours.
"We have arrested bus driver Siddappa Rotti, who escaped unhurt, and charged him under IPC sections 279, 337 and 304(A)," Chitradugra superintendent of police Radhika G told TOI.
"The driver was allegedly speeding and the passengers were asleep when the fire started. Some passengers escaped by breaking windowpanes," she added. Three fire tenders doused the blaze in 20 minutes, but the bus was completely destroyed.
Inflammable objects being carried by passengers or a short circuit in one of the phone-charging sockets could have triggered the fire, officials said. Some injured passengers said the driver was driving nonstop from Vijayapura.