2 min readBengaluruMar 23, 2026 02:07 PM IST
Four passengers, who were returning to Bengaluru from Kerala after spending the Eid weekend, died when a private bus crashed into a highway divider on the Bengaluru-Mysuru Expressway in Karnataka’s Bengaluru South district in the early hours of Monday.
The accident took place around 4.15 am near Puttappanadoddi in Sankalagere village under Channapatna taluk of Bengaluru South district. The bus, operated by a Kerala-based private agency and travelling from Calicut to Bengaluru, lost control and slammed into the highway fencing with severe force, leaving sections of the vehicle badly mangled.
Two passengers died at the scene, while two others succumbed to their injuries at a nearby hospital. The deceased have been identified as Mohammed Farhan, 22, Rasheed, 45, Shakeer, 23, and Aditya Suresh, 25, all natives of Kerala who were living in Bengaluru. Two other passengers, Abdul and Alain, both from Kannur in Kerala, sustained critical injuries and are currently receiving treatment at a hospital.
According to the Channapatna traffic police, the driver initially said that he had swerved to avoid an oncoming vehicle, attributing the crash to evasive action. But the initial probe suggested that the driver may have fallen asleep at the wheel rather than responding to any approaching vehicle.
“The driver stated he swerved to avoid another vehicle, but CCTV footage indicates he likely dozed off while driving,” a senior traffic police officer said.
The Channapatna traffic police have arrested the driver and registered a case of negligent driving against him.
