Bengaluru/IBNS, Dec. 25 -- At least nine people were killed after a private sleeper bus collided with a container truck, triggering a massive fire in Karnataka's Chitradurga district in the early hours of Thursday, media reports said.

The bus, operated by Seabird Tourist, was carrying 32 passengers and was travelling from Bengaluru to Gokarna when the accident occurred on a national highway.

According to reports, the container truck, which was travelling in the opposite direction, lost control, jumped the median and rammed into the bus.

The impact was severe and hit the bus's diesel tank, leading to an immediate fire.

Police have so far recovered five bodies, while several others remain untraceable as rescue and search operations cont...