Eight killed in two accidents in state

As many as eight people, including two women, were killed and four sustained grievous injuries in separate accidents that occurred in Shivamogga and Mysuru districts on Saturday.

Five people were killed on the spot and one suffered serious injuries after a private bus crashed into an autorickshaw on National Highway 206 at Anandpuram in Shivamogga district.  

The deceased have been identified as Thippeswamy, Madan, Ramu, Puttaswamy and Shiva, all aged between 40 and 45 years and natives of Sira taluk in Tumakuru district. The accident occurred when the victims were returning to their native place after visiting Siganduru in the autorickshaw, owned by Thippeswamy, the police said.

Kumaraswamy, who sustained severe injuries in the accident, was admitted to McGann Hospital in Shivamogga and his condition is said to be critical.  Reckless driving by bus driver is said to be the cause of the accident. The bus driver abandoned the vehicle and escaped after the accident. The Rural police registered a case.

Superintendent of Police Abhinav Khare told DH, “We have received several complaints from the public about the reckless driving by driver of Manjunath bus service. We are collecting information about road accidents in which the said bus was involved in the past. We would recommend regional transport department to cancel the permit of the bus.”

In the other accident reported in T Narsipur taluk in Mysuru district in the wee hours of Saturday, three people, including two women, were killed while other others sustained injuries after a goods carrier in which they were travelling crashed into a stationary lorry.

The accident occurred near Kempaiahanahundi. According to the police, Mahadevamma (55) and Basamma (46) of T Narsipur, and Raghu (25) of Kyatamaranahalli in Mysuru died en route hospital. The injured Siddaiah of Yedatore, Somashekar of Kyatamaranahalli and Rathna are undergoing treatment at a hospital in Mysuru.

According to T Narsipur police, the victims were vegetable vendors and were going to Mysuru to buy vegetables.

Raghu was driving the vehicle which belongs to Somashekar. Police suspect that Raghu may not have spotted the stationary lorry as the stretch was dimly lit. Police said that the driver also did not apply brakes to control the vehicle. The jurisdictional police have registered a case and investigations are on.