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

Bus fire accidents have claimed 64 lives and left 145 people injured across the country, while Karnataka alone reported three such fire-related bus incidents in which 14 people were injured between January 1, 2021, and December 10, 2025, according to data from the Union Ministry of Road Transport and Highways.

This excludes at least six people who were killed after a container truck rammed the Bengaluru-bound bus, triggering a fire that rapidly engulfed the vehicle and left passengers with little time to escape on Thursday, December, 25.

In a written reply to an unstarred question in the Rajya Sabha answered on December 17, Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari said that between January 1, 2021 and December 10, 2025, as many as 45 incidents were reported nationwide in which all kind of buses caught fire while in operation. These incidents resulted in 64 deaths and 145 injuries, excluding a separate case in Kurnool on October 24, 2025, in which a bus collision with a motorcycle subsequently led to a fire that killed 20 people.

During the same period, Karnataka alone reported three such fire-related bus incidents, in which 14 people were injured.

Gaps in regulation and enforcement

Transport experts argue that these numbers point to systemic gaps in regulation and enforcement. Experts called for comprehensive safety audits by Transport Departments, with a special focus on sleeper buses, followed by strict implementation of norms and continuous monitoring.

According to Transport expert M.N. Srihari, many sleeper bus bodies are built using low-quality composite materials that are highly inflammable. “There is hardly any crash testing of the fully built bus. In some cases, unsafe modifications such as the installation of additional fuel tanks are carried out,” he said.

Mr. Srihari added that soft furnishings including curtains, mattresses, and internal partitions are frequently made of combustible materials, significantly increasing fire risk.

Another critical gap, he said, lies in driver preparedness. “Drivers are often not trained to handle emergency situations like fires or collisions. In a sleeper bus, where passengers are asleep and disoriented, every second counts,” he said.