Tumakuru : In a tragic road accident, three persons were burnt alive after a car caught fire following a collision near Huliyar in Chikkanayakanahalli taluk of Tumakuru district on Tuesday.

One more person sustained severe injuries and is currently undergoing treatment at a nearby hospital.

The accident occurred on the Koragere bridge near Huliyar, where the speeding car reportedly lost control and crashed into the side barrier of the bridge. The impact of the collision was so intense that the vehicle immediately caught fire, trapping the occupants inside.

According to preliminary information, all four victims were residents of Gubbi taluk and had earlier in the day visited a temple near Panchanahalli. They were returning home after offering prayers when the mishap took place.

Eyewitnesses stated that the car was moving at high speed before it rammed into the bridge railing. "Within moments of the crash, flames engulfed the vehicle. Locals rushed to the spot but were unable to rescue those trapped inside due to the intensity of the fire," a local resident said.

Three occupants died on the spot as they were unable to escape the burning vehicle. The fourth person managed to be pulled out with severe burn injuries, was immediately shifted to a nearby hospital for emergency treatment. His condition is said to be critical.

Police officials from Huliyar Police Station rushed to the scene soon after receiving information and conducted an initial inspection. "A case has been registered, and further investigation is underway to ascertain the exact cause of the accident," a police officer said.

Fire and emergency personnel were also alerted and managed to douse the flames after significant effort. The शवಗಳನ್ನು have been sent for postmortem examination, officials confirmed.