At least nine persons were killed when a speeding truck crashed against a luxury sleeper bus, which caught fire under the impact, in this district early on Thursday, a senior police official said.

The bus with 32 passengers, which was on its way to Gokarna was engulfed in flames under the impact of the collision and most of the deceased were burnt alive inside the vehicle, East Zone Inspector General of Police Ravikanthe Gowda told reporters.