Tumakuru: 5 dead as 'speeding' bus jumps divider, hits oncoming car on NH48

Tumakuru: A tragic road accident involving a “speeding” bus on National Highway 48 near Hirehalli claimed the lives of at least five people and left several others injured on Friday.

According to eyewitnesses, a private bus, which was travelling from Sira to Bengaluru, jumped over the road divider and collided with an oncoming Innova car, which was on its way to Jalore from Bengaluru. The collision resulted in the deaths of five occupants of the car.

The deceased have been identified as Govinda Nayaka (58), Thippamma (52), Dinesh (12), Pinki (15), and Rajesh, all resident of Kunigal taluk. The deceased Govinda Nayaka was originally a resident of Challakere taluk and was staying with his family at Vijayanagar in Bengaluru.

At least 8 other passengers travelling in the bus were also injured in the accident. The bus came to a halt after hitting a coconut tree on the side of the road after colliding with the car.

The accident has disrupted traffic on NH-48 for some time, causing inconvenience to commuters.

The Katsandra police rushed to the spot as soon as they received the news of the accident and cleared the vehicles from the area to allow smooth movement of traffic. The bodies of the deceased were taken to the district hospital’s mortuary.

The Katsandra police have registered a case in this regard and are taking further action.