A goods tempo overturned and claimed five lives in Kaup police station limits on Sunday evening. Credit: Special arrangement
Udupi: Five migrant labourers lost their lives and seven sustained serious injuries after a goods tempo turned turtle on National Highway 66 near Kotalkatte in Uliyar Goli village in Kaup on Sunday evening.
According to the police, a goods tempo, which was carrying iron materials used for wedding decorations, toppled after the driver lost control while overtaking a bus. The vehicle reportedly climbed onto the road divider, crossed into the service road on the opposite side, and overturned, crushing several workers who were travelling in the rear portion amid the heavy iron equipment.
The deceased have been identified as Pappu Ravidas (28), Harish (27) — both from Assam, Gapunath (50) from Tripura, and Kamal and Sumaresh, all from West Bengal. All of them were migrant labourers living in rented houses in Kaup.
The injured include tempo driver Ranjith Amin (33) of Kotalkatte, Ganesh Bahadur Rai (36) of Assam and Prabhas Rai (26), Gopal Boumik (16), Suraj Dolai (16), and Subrado (20) of West Bengal. They were immediately shifted by locals to private hospitals in Udupi. Doctors said some of the injured are in critical condition.
Police said the group was transporting wedding decoration materials belonging to Prasanna Shetty of Majoor from Majoor to Kadekar for a reception planned at a resort near Malpe.
Kaup MLA Gurme Suresh Shetty, former minister Vinay Kumar Sorake, and former MLA Lalaji R Mendon visited the hospitals to enquire about the condition of the injured workers. Kaup Police Inspector Tejaswini and Padubidri PSI Saktivelu conducted spot inspections and are investigating the case further.