12 killed, 9 hurt

Twelve persons, most of them women and children aged between 14 and 25, were killed and nine injured in a head-on collision between a multi-utility vehicle (MUV) and a lorry on National Highway 13 near Vanaballary Cross in Koppal taluk on Monday.

All of them belonged to Bommasagara and Hamasadurga tandas in Gangavati taluk and were employed at a poultry farm in Boodugumpa. They were on their way to work when the accident occurred.

The driver of the MUV died on the spot while the cleaner and the driver of the lorry fled.
Shantavva Eshappa Talavara (16), Lakshman Basappa Ingaladala (14), Huligemma (40) Yallamma (18), Netra Yamanurappa Vaddara (20), Shantamma Hanumantappa Vaddara (14) of Bommasagara Tanda and Durugamma Yamanappa Harijana (18), the driver, Nagaraj Chagappa (25), Gangamma (21) and Nagaraj Sanjeevappa Benni (21) of Hampasadurga died on the spot. Yamanavva Ramanna Talavara (15) of Bommasagara Tanda died at the district hospital and Gangamma (19) succumbed to injuries at KIMS, Hubli. They were on their way to the poultry farm when a speeding lorry, bound to Kushtagi from Hospet, collided with their vehicle on the narrow highway. The MUV toppled into a pit on the road under repair, eye-witnesses said.

Against law

The accident has brought to fore the lack of co-ordination among the various departments in the district.

Multi-utility vehicles, which are permitted to transport only goods, carry workers on the narrow lane every day. But the authorities have not bothered to check the menace.

Several children from villages too are employed at the nearby poultry farms. Though the Child Protection Scheme under the Unicef was implemented in the district, officials of the Child and Family Welfare, Police and Labour Departments have turned a blind eye to the issue, say residents. There is a widespread illegal network of people supplying children and women for work in poultry farms in the district, said AITUC district president Basavaraja.