Bengaluru: A deadly collision between a private sleeper bus and a speeding truck in Karnataka’s Chitradurga district on Thursday morning left at least 17 people dead and 20 others injured.

The luxury bus with 32 passengers caught fire after the impact, leading to many being burnt alive, said a senior police official.

The bus was on its way to Gokarna from Bengaluru when the accident happened on NH-48. The crash occurred at around 2 am after the truck jumped a road divider and collided with the bus, said East Zone Inspector General of Police Ravikanthe Gowda.

The driver and cleaner of the sleeper bus escaped, while the driver of the truck and its cleaner are among the dead. Many passengers also escaped by jumping from the bus, Gowda added.

The injured passengers have been shifted to a hospital in Shira in Tumakuru district, he said, adding that fire brigade teams were also deployed immediately.

Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah has promised a proper investigation into the accident, while expressing grief over the loss of lives. “I pray that the souls of the deceased may rest in peace. I also share the grief of the families of those who died in the accident,” he further said.