Van collides with lorry; 13 dead, four injured

Haveri (Karnataka): As many as 13 people, including two children died and four others were injured after the van they were travelling in allegedly collided with a lorry at Gundenahalli cross in Byadagi Taluk early on Friday, police said.

The deceased children, both boys, were aged four and six, they said.

Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah has announced a compensation of Rs two lakh each to the kin of those who died in the accident.

According to police, the accident occurred around 3.45 am when the van collided with a lorry which was parked on the side of National Highway 48 in Byadagi in Haveri district.

A total of 17 persons were travelling in the van. Of them, eleven people died on the spot while two others were declared dead at a hospital, a senior police official said.

Among the four injured, two are admitted in the ICU of the hospital, he said.

The bodies have been shifted to the mortuary and the injured have been admitted to Haveri Government Hospital, Anshu Kumar Srivastava, Superintendent of Police (Haveri) said.

Police suspected that the driver dozed off resulting in the accident. Because of the impact of the collision, the bodies were stuck in the mangled remains of the van and the fire brigade and police personnel had a difficult time in extricating them, police said. The deceased have been identified as Nagesh (50), Vishalakshi (40), Adarsh (23), Parashuram (45), Bhagya (40), Punya (50), Manasa (24), Roopa (40), Subhadra Bai (65), Manjula Bai (62) and Manjula (50), police said.

Names of the deceased children have not been shared by the police.

President Droupadi Murmu on Friday condoled the loss of lives in a road accident in Karnataka’s Haveri district and prayed for the speedy recovery of the injured. “It is saddening to learn of the death of several pilgrims including women and children in a bus accident in Karnataka’s Haveri district. I offer my condolences to the families of the victims and pray for the speedy recovery of the injured,” Murmu said in a post on X.