Highway crash near Hubballi kills 6 elderly tourists from M’rashtra
Dharwad: Six persons among a group of tourists from Mumbai who were proceeding to Hampi as part of a Karnataka tour were killed and 21 persons were injured in a road accident involving a private bus and a truck on Gadag Road at Nalvadi village (near Hubballi) in the district on Saturday.
According to police, the bus driver was overspeeding. He lost control over the vehicle, brushed against the side of a truck parked on the road and collided head-on with a truck coming from the opposite direction. The bus overturned after the collision, causing the death of six persons and injuries to 21 persons, including the driver of the bus.
The injured have been admitted to Karnataka Institute of Medical Sciences and Hospital in Hubballi. Among the injured, three persons have sustained serious injuries, the police said.
The deceased are Dinakar Vithoba Matre (78), Vishwanath Vithoba Matre (80), Ramesh Jaypal (70), Alka alias Sumedha Jamkhandikar (60), Lahoo Keluskar (65), Suchitra Chandrakanth Rahul (50), all residents of Navi Mumbai and adjoining localities.
Most of the tourists are senior citizens who had undertaken the package tour from a Bengaluru-based travel firm. Following the accident, Superintendent of Police G Sangeeta, Deputy Superintendent of Police Ramanagouda Hatti and other police officials visited the spot.
A case has been registered at Annigeri police station against the bus driver and the driver of the truck who had parked the truck by the roadside.