Two people were killed on the spot while 15 others sustained serious injuries when a private bus hit a divider and overturned, on National Highway 75, at Byadarahalli Gate in the taluk on Friday morning.
The deceased are Shishir (13), son of Prashant of Kundapur, and Mahesh (45), son of Basavanna Pujari, Brahmavara, Udupi district.
The bus, belonging to Sugama Travels, was bound for Bengaluru and had left Kundapur around 9 pm on Thursday. The speeding bus hit the divider and toppled around 5.30 am, near Byadarahalli Gate on Friday. Shishir and Mahesh got trapped below the bus and died.
Highway emergency vehicles from Hirisave and Shravanabelagola rushed to the spot and shifted the injured persons to Hirisave and Adichunchanagiri Hospital. The bus was removed using two cranes. There were 21 passengers and two crew on the bus.
The residents of the surrounding villages rushed to the mishap site, as soon as the news of the accident spread.
They helped the police and the emergency vehicle employees to rescue the injured. Most of the passengers were from Udupi and Kundapur and were working at various places in Bengaluru, said PSI Jagadish.
Shishir's father Prashant is an engineer and was working in Bengaluru. He was on his way to admit his son Shishir to 8th standard when the mishap occurred.
Mahesh was running a catering unit in Bengaluru. He died on the spot while his wife Poornima suffered a fractured leg. Both his children have escaped unhurt.
Vinod Kumar, Sumathi, Rashmi, Mouna suffered major injuries. DySP Ramalingegowda and CPI Harish Babu visited the spot.
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