Hassan tragedy: Death toll rises to 10; nine were under 27

Mysuru: Had everything gone well, the Ganesha idol procession on Friday night would have safely crossed the scene of the accident, which claimed 10 lives on NH 373 in Hassan taluk, in a few minutes.

But celebrations turned tragic for nine youths aged between 17 and 27 -- one of them a birthday boy -- when the container truck ploughed into them at Mosale Hosahalli in Hassan taluk.

Three of the victims - Mithun, Suresh and Praveen - were students of Government Engineering College at Mosale Hosahalli, while two - Gokul and Eeshwar - were students of Government First Grade College. Some of them, hostelites, had come out for dinner. A few from other places too joined the procession and the DJ music. Mithun, the birthday boy, was dancing in the procession.

One person, Chandan (26) from Mosale Hosahalli, was declared brain dead at HIMS, on Saturday. 

According to the FIR filed at Gorur police station against truck driver Bhuvanesh, the accident occurred on the Hassan-Holenarsipur stretch of NH 373 between 8.40 pm and 8.45 pm. The truck, moving from Hassan to Holenarsipur, hit a motorbike and swerved to the right, hitting the median before ploughing into the procession moving from Holenarsipur towards Hassan. Nine of the deceased were in the procession. Bike rider Prabhakar also died. Bhuvanesh, a native of Hassan district, who was beaten up by the public, is also being treated at the hospital under police custody. 

Praveen Kumar (21) of Nagalakere, Ballari district, and Mithun (23) of Gavirangapura, Hosadurga taluk, Chitradurga district were from outside Hassan. The seven from Hassan district were: Rajesh (17), KB Palya, Holenarsipur taluk; Eeshwar (17), Danakanayakanahalli Koppalu, Hassan taluk; Gokul (17), Mutthige Hirihalli, Hassan taluk; Kumar (25), Kabbinahalli, Holenarsipur taluk; Praveen (25), Kabbinahalli, Holenarsipur taluk; Suresh (22) Maneenahalli Marle, Hassan taluk; bike rider Prabhakar (52), Bantarahalli, Hassan taluk.

A team of doctors finished the post-mortem of all nine bodies, who died on Friday night, by 3 am. They took measures to hand over the bodies to their relatives, informed Hassan District in-Charge Minister Krishna Byre Gowda. 

In all 20 people were injured and 18 of them are admitted at Hassan Institute of Medical Sciences (HIMS). Among them, 17 are stable in the wards. One has undergone surgery for a rib fracture. One person in the ICU is stable. Two people are admitted at ICU in a private hospital and are stable. Some suffered dislocations. A team of doctors, led by Hassan district health officer Dr Anil Kumar, is monitoring the injured, Krishna Byre Gowda informed. 

He said he got updates through the night from Hassan DC Latha Kumari, SP Mohammed Sujeetha, ZP CEO B R Poornima and doctors - and made necessary arrangements.  

There were heart-rending scenes of families grieving over their loved at HIMS and in their houses.