Seven members of a family, including five women, were killed on the spot and 12 sustained severe injuries after the two autorickshaws they were travelling in were hit by a lorry near Waddarhalli Bridge in Hosapete taluk of Vijayanagara district on Friday.
All the victims were residents of Gautam Nagar, near Cowl Bazaar, in Ballari city. The deceased have been identified as Safura Bi, 50, her daughters Kausar, 35, and Yasmeen, 28, her son-in-law Ibrahim, her grandson Zaheer, 4, and Shamma, 37, a relative. The identity of the other victim, one of the autorickshaw drivers, is yet to be ascertained.
Of the injured, the condition of four, including two children and a woman, is said to be critical. They have been shifted to Vijayanagara Institute of Medical Sciences (VIMS) hospital in Ballari and others are getting treatment at the Hosapete District General Hospital.
The family, after celebrating Bakrid together on Thursday, had planned a visit to Tungabhadra reservoir on Friday.
The police said 19 members of the family were travelling in two autorickshaws. The impact of the accident was such that one autorickshaw was crushed under the lorry and the other rolled down a deep gorge.
Local people came to help and pulled out those trapped in the autorickshaws.
District in-charge Minister B. Nagendra said that Chief Minister Siddaramaiah had announced a compensation of ₹2 lakh each to the victims and ₹50,000 each to those injured in the accident.
