Early on December 25, a container truck crashed into a sleeper bus on the National Highway near Javanagondanahalli in Hiriyur taluk, Chitradurga district, Karnataka. The crash triggered a fire, killing six people and injuring 28. The dead include a five-year-old girl, Grema, and four women—Bindu V, Manasa, Navya, and Rashmi Mahale—who were travelling from Bengaluru to Gokarna. The truck driver, from Uttar Pradesh, also died. Around 2 a.m., the truck carrying beverages from Maharashtra to Nelamangala jumped over the road divider and hit the bus traveling in the opposite direction. The impact caused the bus to catch fire. Thirty-three people were on the bus, including the driver and assistant. Many passengers escaped amid thick flames. Sachin, a nearby bus driver, witnessed the accident. He said, "While my bus was a few metres behind, a truck coming from the opposite direction, jumped over the divider and hit the sleeper bus. As a result, the sleeper bus swerved to the left and hit my bus." He managed to move his bus away and help rescue people from the burning bus. Police, fire, and ambulance services arrived after calls from locals. Fire tenders from Sira, Hiriyur, and Chitradurga fought the fire. At the busy holiday time, thousands were travelling, causing traffic jams. Senior police from Chitradurga and Tumakuru also responded. The injured were taken to hospitals in Sira, Hiriyur, and Bengaluru. Three injured passengers were admitted to Victoria Hospital in Bengaluru. Doctor Yogishwarappa C.N. said, "One of the patients remains in critical condition." Manjunath (24) suffers 30% burns and smoke inhalation and is in ICU. Two others, Devika (22) and Keerthan (22), have minor burns and stable conditions. Another passenger had a nasal injury and was treated as an outpatient.