Kozhikode: Four Malayalis lost their lives after a private bus carrying 32 passengers met with an accident on the Bengaluru–Mysuru highway near Channapatna in the early hours of Monday.

The deceased have been identified as Muhammed Farhan, 22, a native of Koyilandi; Sakkeer, 27, a native of Mahe; Rafees, 45 and Rasheed, 45. No major injuries were reported to other passengers.

According to Channapatna police, the accident occurred around 4 am when the sleeper bus, which was travelling from Kozhikode to Bengaluru, rammed into the iron fencing on the left side of the highway. The front portion of the bus was completely damaged in the impact.

Preliminary findings suggest that the driver may have dozed off, leading to the accident, police said.

The bus involved in the accident belongs to PK Travels. The travel agency stated that it received information about the accident around 4.30 am and added that the deceased were not listed in their ticket registry.