Three Devotees Killed, Over 20 Injured in Two Road Accidents in Belagavi District

Belagavi, Oct 11 : Three devotees were killed and more than 10 others injured, including four critically, when a truck rammed into a procession carrying an idol of Goddess Durga in Karnataka's Belagavi district on Sunday, police said.

The accident occurred near the Hattaragi toll plaza in Hukkeri taluk when the devotees were returning to Hunchyanatti village after bringing the idol from Belagavi. The truck hit the procession from behind, a senior police officer said.

The deceased were identified as Prakash, Mahesh and Daneshwari. The injured were shifted to the Belagavi Institute of Medical Sciences (BIMS) Hospital and nearby private hospitals for treatment. Some of the injured were yet to be identified.

The accident occurred within the jurisdiction of the Yamakanamaradi police station. Police personnel reached the spot, arranged for the injured to be shifted to hospitals and initiated an investigation to ascertain the circumstances leading to the collision.

In a separate road accident in the same taluk, a state transport bus driver was killed and 12 passengers injured when the bus crashed into the rear of a tipper truck on National Highway 48 near Sankeshwar.

The bus was travelling from Gangavathi to Kolhapur via Belagavi on its scheduled route when the collision occurred, police said.

The driver died on the spot, while the injured passengers were taken to Sankeshwar Taluk Hospital for treatment.

The two accidents claimed four lives and left more than 20 people injured, according to details provided by the police.