What happened here
A private AC sleeper bus and a goods lorry collided head-on near Kiranalli Gate, Periyapatna, Mysuru district, early on 16 October 2026. Four people died, including the bus driver Sunil and Kozhikode passenger Aftab. PTI reported 31 injured. Reports blame a lorry that swerved, possibly around a fallen tree after rain, but the cause is not confirmed.
Quick answers
How many people died in the Periyapatna bus accident?
Four, according to police quoted by PTI. Two died on the spot and two were declared brought dead at hospital.
How many were injured?
PTI reported 31 injured, three of them seriously. Other reports range from 14 to more than 35. The final number had not been officially confirmed by 16 October 2026.
Who were the victims?
The bus driver, Sunil, and a passenger, Aftab of Beypore, Kozhikode, are named in nearly every report. Kerala outlets also name Sajesh of Mankavu, Kozhikode. The fourth victim's name differs between reports.
What caused the crash?
Not confirmed. Asianet reported that the lorry swerved into the opposite lane. TV9 Kannada and Madhyamam said the lorry swerved to avoid a tree that fell after heavy rain. Police have ordered a probe.
Where exactly did it happen?
Near Kiranalli (Keeranahalli) Gate on the outskirts of Periyapatna town, Periyapatna taluk, Mysuru district, Karnataka.
What happened
Early on Friday, 16 October 2026, a private AC sleeper bus and a goods lorry collided head-on near Kiranalli (also spelt Keeranahalli or Kirnal) Gate, on the outskirts of Periyapatna town in Mysuru district, Karnataka. Four people were killed and a large number of passengers were hurt. Most reports say the bus was run by Kaveri Tour and Travels and was on the Bengaluru–Kozhikode route. Deccan Herald placed the crash on the Bengaluru–Mangaluru national highway; Vijayapatha described the spot as a bend on the Mysuru–Madikeri road.
Reports differ on the time. ETV Bharat Karnataka said about 3.15 a.m., IANS and TV9 Kannada said about 3.30 a.m., Onmanorama and UNI said about 3.45 a.m., and PTI, quoting police, said around 4.30 a.m. They also differ on the direction of the bus. PTI, Onmanorama, UNI and Deccan Herald said it was going from Bengaluru towards Kerala; Asianet, India TV and some Malayalam outlets said it was going from Kozhikode to Bengaluru. Madhyamam and Suprabhaatham reported that every seat was taken because of the Pooja holidays.
The people
PTI, quoting a senior police officer, said two people died on the spot and two were declared brought dead at hospital. Deccan Herald said the bus driver died on the spot. The bus driver, Sunil, is named in almost every report; most place him in Mysuru or Karnataka. A passenger, Aftab, from Beypore in Kozhikode, is also named in nearly every report. Kerala outlets, including Onmanorama, Asianet and Madhyamam, also name Sajesh of Mankavu, Kozhikode; UNI spells the name Sreejesh.
The fourth person had not been firmly identified when we checked. PTI named the conductor as Sunaad of Karnataka and said the fourth victim was yet to be identified. Asianet and Janayugom named a cleaner, Suhail, from Kerala. Kannada outlets gave the cleaner’s name as Sandesh or Sagesh, and ETV Bharat Karnataka named Sibil Adam, 32. Ages also differ between reports. We are not treating any of these details as final until the police release a list.
The count of injured changed through the day. UNI and India TV first reported 14, IANS and TV9 Kannada more than 20, PTI 31 (three of them serious), and Deccan Herald and ETV Bharat Karnataka more than 35. Asianet said eight were critical. The injured were taken to the government hospital in Periyapatna and then, if badly hurt, to K R Hospital and other hospitals in Mysuru, according to Deccan Herald. Many had spine, back and limb injuries. Deccan Herald said the lorry driver had minor injuries.
Response and investigation
Police and Fire and Emergency Services personnel struggled to get passengers out of the badly damaged bus and finally brought them out through the emergency door, Deccan Herald reported. Traffic on the highway stopped for hours until the bus and lorry were lifted away with an excavator and cranes. The bodies were taken to the Periyapatna Government Hospital mortuary for post-mortem.
Mysuru Superintendent of Police Mallikarjuna Baladandi visited the spot and ordered a probe, according to Deccan Herald and ETV Bharat Karnataka. ETV Bharat Karnataka said a case had been registered by DySP Ravi and Circle Inspector Govinda Raj, and that the lorry driver had fled, according to police. Vijayapatha said the case was registered at Periyapatna police station; The South First, at 1.08 p.m., said the FIR was still pending.
The cause has not been officially established. Three accounts have been published. Asianet and Janayugom, citing preliminary information, said the lorry suddenly swerved into the opposite lane. TV9 Kannada, Madhyamam and Suprabhaatham said heavy rain on Thursday night brought a tree or branch onto the road and the lorry swerved right to avoid it. Vijayapatha mentioned fog and suspected early-morning drowsiness or high speed. None of these is an official finding.
When we checked on 16 October 2026, we could not find any report of an arrest, a compensation announcement, a delayed death or an official cause.
Why this matters
Private sleeper buses between Bengaluru, Mysuru and Kerala run full at night, especially around festivals. On a two-lane highway, one vehicle crossing the centre line in the dark leaves the other driver almost no time. In a head-on crash the people in the front of the bus, usually the driver, the conductor or cleaner, and passengers in the first berths, take the worst of it.
NCRB’s Accidental Deaths and Suicides in India 2024 report counted 4,903 bus travellers and 13,815 people in trucks and lorries killed in road accidents in 2024. Police recorded 46,132 deaths under dangerous or careless driving and overtaking, and 4,992 under weather conditions, of which 3,076 were put down to poor visibility.
Lessons for drivers, operators and passengers
- Slow down when the road is wet, foggy or blocked. After a night of rain, expect fallen branches and mud on highways through farmland and forest. A lower speed gives you time to stop rather than swerve.
- Never swerve into the oncoming lane at night. If something blocks your lane, brake hard in a straight line and stop. Crossing the centre line on a bend is how head-on crashes happen.
- Report and clear road hazards quickly. If you see a fallen tree on the road, put on your hazard lights, warn traffic if it is safe, and call 112 or the NHAI helpline 1033.
- Bus operators must plan for night driving. Long night routes need a rested driver and a relief driver, and schedules that do not push drivers to race.
- Passengers can choose a safer berth. Berths at the very front take the worst of a head-on hit. On a sleeper bus, a berth in the middle of the bus is a better choice. Note where the emergency exit and hammer are when you board.
What to do after a bus crash
- Check yourself, then the person next to you. If the door is blocked, use the emergency door or window.
- Once out, move well away from the road and traffic.
- Call 112 or the ambulance on 108. Give the highway, the nearest village or gate, and the direction of travel.
- Do not pull an injured person out of a berth unless there is fire or another immediate danger. Moving them can make neck and spine injuries worse.
- Keep your ticket and note the bus number and operator. You will need them for an insurance or motor accident claim.
What is still not known
The official cause, which vehicle crossed into the other’s lane and why, whether a fallen tree or fog played a part, the speed of both vehicles, the exact time and direction of travel, the full identity of all four people who died, and the final number of injured have not been officially confirmed. We could not find FIR details or any report of an arrest. We will update this page when official findings are published.
More on Mysuru: see our Mysuru fire and emergency safety guide for fire brigade numbers, every fire station and the local risks to know.
- Heavy rain in the area reported by TV9 Kannada and Madhyamam
- Sleeper bus and lorry collide head-on near Kiranalli Gate, Periyapatna; time differs between reports
- Police and Fire and Emergency Services rescue passengers through the emergency door; injured taken to Periyapatna government hospital and Mysuru hospitals
- Highway traffic held up for hours; vehicles cleared with an excavator and cranes
- SP Mallikarjuna Baladandi visits the spot and orders a probe; a case is reported registered
- No arrest, compensation, delayed death or official cause finding located in published reports
Why consequences escalated
- Four people died, two at the spot and two at hospital, according to PTI.
- The front of both vehicles was badly damaged, and passengers had to be brought out through the emergency door.
- Preliminary accounts say the lorry crossed into the bus's lane, possibly while avoiding a fallen tree; this is not confirmed.
- The injured count rose through the day, from 14 in early reports to 31 (PTI) and more than 35 (Deccan Herald).
- The identities of the dead, the time and the direction of the bus differ between reports.
Failures and risk multipliers
- Swerving across the centre line at night instead of braking in a straight line.
- Driving at a speed that leaves no margin on a wet road after heavy rain.
- Fallen trees and branches left on a highway at night without warning.
- Night routes run without a relief driver or proper rest.
Actions that reduce risk
- Drivers: slow down on wet or foggy nights and brake in your own lane rather than swerve.
- Bus operators: plan a relief driver or fixed rest halt on night routes, and brief passengers on the emergency exit.
- Highway authorities: patrol after storms and clear or mark fallen trees quickly.
- Passengers: choose a middle berth, note the emergency door and hammer, and keep 112 and 108 handy.
- Anyone who sees a road hazard: call 112 or the NHAI helpline 1033.
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