8 killed as truck overturns on cab

The accident occurred at around 6.15 pm. The victims were heading home after duty when the truck, coming in the opposite lane, was hit from behind by another truck.

The driver of the vegetable truck lost control and the vehicle swerved to its right, hitting the median.

It tumbled over to the other lane and fell exactly on the oncoming Tata Sumo. The passengers in the vehicle had, unfortunately, no escape route. Eyewitnesses said the vehicle behind the ill-fated vegetable truck had tried to overtake from the left side, hitting the other vehicle’s rear.

The truck was heading towards Kerala with vegetables to be delivered for Friday trade.
The driver and cleaner of the truck that triggered the accident abandoned the vehicle and fled the scene. While all the eight victims died on the spot, the truck driver and cleaner and a motorcyclist, Shekhar, escaped but with serious injuries.

The injured were rushed to Rajarajeshwari Hospital and immediately shifted to the intensive care unit. The accident led to a traffic jam on the Bangalore-Mysore Highway, stranding vehicles for more than an hour.

The deceased were Rajesh (33) and Ramanath (38), both assistant managers; Kavita (27), welfare officer; Geeta (23), staff entry officer;  Vijay Kumar (28), Assistant Human Resource Development officer;  Sandeep (22), office boy; Naresh (32), and Suresh (26), driver. Suresh, a native of Bhadravathi was recently married.

Rajesh, a resident of Kalasipalya, is survived by his pregnant wife while Ramanath, a resident of Kothanur Dinne, leaves behind wife and two sons. Kavitha was a native of Dharmasthala and Vijay Kumar was from Sakleshpur.

Naresh was a resident of Vijayanagar, and Sandeep was from RT Nagar in the City.
The injured were Khalid, driver of the vegetable truck; Prem Kumar, cleaner and Shekar, a college student from Sheshagiri halli.

Festive mood

The victims were all in a festive mood as they were heading back home for the Varamahalakshmi festival on Friday.

Relatives of the deceased thronged the Rajarajeshwari Hospital in big numbers after they heard the shocking news.

A representative of Madura Garments, an Aditya Birla Group undertaking, said the organisation would decide  the compensation in a day or two.

DH News Service