Bus-auto collision leaves 4 dead

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Four people were killed and eight sustained grievous injuries after the autorickshaw they were travelling in collided head-on with a bus in Vishwanathapura on Monday morning.

The deceased have been identified as Haseena Taj (35), her daughters Sadia (8) and Saniya (17), and their neighbour, Zoya (5), all residents of Bitappanahalli in Hoskote taluk. Zoya’s mother Naseema (27) is the complainant in the case, the police said.

According to the police, the accident happened along the Devanahalli-Doddaballapura NH-207 road near Vishwanathapura around 10.15 am. The police said 12 people, belonging to two families and who were neighbours, were travelling in the autorickshaw.

They had gone to the district commissioner’s office to make changes in their Aadhaar cards, but were asked to come back the following day. They were returning home when the accident happened. Naseema’s husband Yaarab was riding the autorickshaw, which was heading towards Devanahalli, the police said. The over-speeding private bus was coming from Devanahalli and heading towards Doddaballapura.

The impact of the collision was such that the autorickshaw was crushed and four of the passengers were killed instantly, the police said. Eight were shifted in ambulances to the Devanahalli government hospital.

The Vishwanathapura police have taken up a case of accidental death due to rash and negligent driving and have launched a manhunt for the bus driver, who has been absconding since the accident.

The police have seized both the vehicles and have recorded the statements of the survivors.