Bhatkal: At least 24 people were injured, eight of them critically, in a collision involving two private buses and a lorry on National Highway 52 in Karnataka’s Uttara Kannada district on Thursday morning, sources said.

The accident occurred near Sunkasal in Ankola taluk, about 100 km from here.

All the injured were initially taken to the government hospital in Ankola. Those in critical condition were later shifted to the Karwar Institute of Medical Sciences (KRIMS) in Karwar for advanced treatment.

According to preliminary information, a private bus travelling from Hampi to Goa collided with another private bus heading from Hubballi to Mangaluru. A lorry travelling from Ankola towards Yellapur was also involved in the crash.

Around 12 foreign tourists were among the passengers on the Hampi–Goa bus, sources said, without providing further details.

Eyewitnesses said local residents rushed to the scene after hearing cries for help and assisted in rescue operations, breaking open bus windows to evacuate passengers and providing first aid and drinking water.

The accident caused major traffic disruption along the Arbel Ghat stretch of NH-52, with vehicles stranded for several kilometres. Traffic was restored after nearly five hours following clearance operations.

Ankola police have registered a case and launched an investigation into the cause of the accident.