Twelve people were killed in two separate road accidents in Karnataka and Madhya Pradesh on Thursday, according to police reports.
Seven Killed in Karnataka Head-On Collision
In the first incident, seven people died and two were seriously injured when a multi-utility vehicle collided head-on with a lorry in Uttara Kannada district. The accident occurred around 1:30 am on NH-52 near Balagara Cross in the Arabail Ghat section, under Yellapur Police Station limits.
According to police, the multi-utility vehicle was carrying nine people, including the driver, and was traveling from Dharwad to Dharmasthala and Chikkamagaluru for a leisure trip. Preliminary information indicates the driver, identified as Sanjeev, worked part-time as a delivery executive with a food delivery platform. Police allege he drove rashly and negligently, veering to the extreme right side of the road before colliding with an oncoming lorry from Ankola. The impact left the multi-utility vehicle mangled.
The injured were taken to a nearby hospital and later referred to KIMS Hospital in Hubballi. Yellapur police inspected the spot and shifted the bodies for post-mortem. Based on a complaint from injured survivor Shivaraj, a case has been registered under Sections 281 (rash or negligent driving on a public way), 125(2) (act endangering life or personal safety of others), and 106(1) (causing death by negligence) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita.
Five Family Members Killed in Madhya Pradesh
In the second accident, five members of a family, including three women and a child, died when their car crashed into a stationary truck in Madhya Pradesh's Umaria district. The incident occurred around 3:30 am near Bharula village under Civil Lines police station jurisdiction.
An Ertiga vehicle rammed into a truck parked on the roadside, killing four occupants on the spot. A seriously injured woman was rushed to a medical facility but later succumbed to her injuries. The vehicle was completely mangled, and victims were extricated after hours of effort.
The victims were residents of Lilhatola in Anuppur district and were traveling to Chitrakoot in Satna. Additional Superintendent of Police Alok Sharma confirmed that the accident took place near Siddhababa Dham Bharaula, and relatives were arriving from Lilhatola.
