7 killed, 16 hurt in accident

Seven people, including a girl child were killed, and 16 sustained injuries when a lorry overturned and fell on a Tempo in which they were travelling, near Kalghatagi in Dharwad district on Tuesday.

The dead have been identified as Fakkirappa Narvekar (55), Chandrakant Kasalkar (35), Shantaram Kasalkar (45), Ramachandra Pillurkar (70), Sayyed Gundur (32), and four-year-old Simran Anchatageri. All are from Sulikeri village, and Parashuram Redekar of Singanahalli village.

Two of the injured are said to be in a critical condition. According to SP Y S Ravikumar, the injured have been shifted to Karnataka Institute of Medical Sciences hospital in Hubli for treatment.

The accident took place near Kalakunti on Kalghatgi-Yellapur road, five km from Kalghatagi, around 10:15 am.

The ill-fated Tempo was carrying some 25 people (including several seated on the roof) from Sulikere and Sangameshwar villages to Kalghatagi for a weekly shandy.

As the Tempo sped past a lorry overloaded with eucalyptus logs near a curve, the other driver lost control of his vehicle which had been swaying under  its heavy load.

It fell on the Tempo, flattening it. Police had to employ earthmovers and cranes to extricate bodies from the crushed vehicle.

Superintendent of Police Ravikumar, Deputy Commissioner Darpan Jain, and other officers visited the site of the accident and monitored rescue operations.

A post mortem of the dead was conducted at Kalghatagi government hospital, before the bodies were handed over to the next of kin.

The accident affected traffic on the road for over three hours. According to police, the truck had been carrying eucalyptus logs to the West-Coast Paper Mill at Dandeli.