At least nine people were killed and many others injured early Thursday when a private sleeper bus caught fire after being hit by a large truck in the southwestern Indian state of Karnataka, police said, Xinhua reported. 

The accident took place around 2:00 a.m. local time on the highway at Gorlathu village of Hiriyur area in Chitradurga district, about 203 km northwest of Bengaluru, the capital city of Karnataka.

According to police, the bus was hit by a truck coming from the other side after reportedly jumping the divider and crashing into it, according to Xinhua.