Hosur, TN: A brand new KSRTC AC sleeper bus, featuring tricolour-themed graphics and Kathakali artwork, was involved in an accident near Hosur while being transported from Bengaluru to Thiruvananthapuram.

The bus, built on an Ashok Leyland 13.5-metre "Garuda" chassis with a sleeper-cum-seater configuration, had just rolled out from a unit in Bengaluru. It reportedly collided with a lorry in front of it, which had suddenly braked. Another lorry behind the bus also crashed into it.

The visuals of the accident have since gone viral on social media, showing damage to the newly built vehicle.

This particular bus is part of KSRTC’s latest fleet upgrade, which includes a total of 143 new buses. The new arrivals cater to a wide range of services, including Fast Passenger, Superfast, Fast Passenger Link, Premium Seater, Sleeper, Seater-cum-Sleeper, and Ordinary services.

The fleet includes models from major manufacturers such as Tata, Ashok Leyland, and Eicher. For long-distance inter-state services, KSRTC has also added the Volvo 9600 multi-axle luxury seater buses to its lineup.

While Tata vehicles were primarily allocated for Fast Passenger and Superfast categories, the subsequent buses, including the sleeper and premium variants, are mostly built on Ashok Leyland chassis. The Fast Passenger Link buses are based on a 10.5-metre Ashok Leyland chassis, whereas the new Ordinary buses are built on an 8.5-metre Eicher chassis.