The mangled remains of a bus involved in an accident on the Bengaluru-Mysuru Expressway in Ramanagara district in the early hours of March 23, 2026. Image: Special Arrangement
Four passengers were killed and several others injured in an accident on the Bengaluru-Mysuru Expressway in Karnataka’s Ramanagara district on Monday (March 23, 2026) after a bus crashed into a roadside fence.
According to the police, the impact was strong and the bus was badly damaged. Two passengers died on the spot, two others succumbed to their injuries later in hospital.
The deceased have been identified as Mohammad Farhan (22) and Sulfi Rafeez (45), both of Kozhikode in Kerala, Rasheed (45) of Kalasipalya in Bengaluru and Sakir (27) of Anepalya, Adugodi, Bengaluru.
The two injured passengers – Abdul and Alain from Kannur, Kerala – are currently undergoing treatment at a private hospital.
How did it happen
Preliminary investigation revealed that the bus carrying 43 people including 36 passengers and seven staff was traveling at high speed when the driver was allegedly dozing off. The vehicle veered to the left and hit the road fence and was dragged along it for nearly 100 m. Metal bars from the fence pierced the left side of the bus, fatally injuring the passengers sitting there.
The driver, Riyaz, initially claimed that he swerved to avoid the oncoming vehicle. However, CCTV footage reviewed by police suggests he may have fallen asleep at the wheel.
“The driver said he was trying to avoid another vehicle, but the evidence points to carelessness due to feeling drowsy while driving,” the traffic police chief said.
Read | City to witness 171 deaths and 1,213 injuries due to road accidents in 2025: K. Ravishankar
Driver arrested
Channapatna traffic police arrested the driver and registered a case of careless driving.
Also read | More than 170 road accident deaths reported in Mysuru district during 2025
Inspector of Police R. Srinivas Gowda and other police officers visited the spot and conducted an inspection. The bodies have been taken to Channapatna Government Hospital for post-mortem and will be handed over to the families after completing the formalities.
Published – 23 March 2026 11:26 IST
