At least nine persons, including three children and three women, were killed in Karnataka’s Karwar district on Wednesday when an SUV collided head-on with a truck.
According to ANI, the incident occurred at Arbail Ghat section in Yellapur town.
According to Public TV, all the deceased were family members and were relatives of ex Kudachi MLA Shamarao Ghatge.
The victims were identified as Vaishnavi (5), Abhinandan (3), Varadaraj Vivek Ghatage, (1.5), Sachin Madhukar Jandenavar (28), Vivek Vasanth Ghat (34), Renuka (30), Gouravva Vasanth Metri (58), Menaka (28) and Mujahid (32), the driver.
All nine victims are residents of Rayabhag, Belagavi as per The Times of India report.
According to a preliminary investigation, eyewitnesses suggested that the SUV hit the oncoming truck when it attempted to overtake another vehicle.
Deaths due to road accidents on Indian roads are increasing at an alarming rate. According to a recent report published by the Union Ministry of Road, Transport and Highways, 17 people die every hour due to accidents across the country. Karnataka witnessed the third highest number of fatal accidents among states amounting to 11% of all road accidents in India in 2016.