Five persons died and several others suffered injuries when a Karnataka State Road Transport Corporation (KSRTC) bus hit a truck near Gollahalli Gate on NH 150A (Hiriyur-Ballari Road) in Hiriyur taluk of Chitradurga district on September 11. The bus was on the way to Raichur when it hit the truck around 3.30 a.m.
Chitradurga Superintendent of Police Dharmendra Kumar Meena informed mediapersons that two persons died on the spot and the other three died in hospitals. The deceased are Ravi, 23, of Maski, Narasanna, 5, of Manvi, Parvathamma, 53, of Bengaluru, Mabamma, 35, of Raichur. The identity of the fifth victim is yet to be ascertained.
Eight injured persons have been admitted to hospitals in Chitradurga and Challakere.
The bus was carrying 51 passengers. Some of the passengers alleged that the driver of the bus was driving in a rash manner. He hit the truck in an attempt to overtake the vehicle. The left side of the bus was completely damaged.
The passengers who died and suffered injuries were among those sitting on window seats.
Imangala police reached the spot and registered a case.
Man-made disaster
Alok Kumar, ADGP (Traffic & Road Safety), termed the accident as a ‘man-made disaster’. Driving licence of driver is being impounded, he added.
In a post on X (formerly Twitter), Mr. Alok Kumar said that a KSRTC bus tried to wrongly overtake a lorry in Chitradurga resulting in the deaths of five persons. ‘A man-made disaster. DL of the driver being impounded’, he tweeted.
He appealed to drivers: “Please put indicators on, and maintain safe distance while overtaking”.
