TUMAKURU: Four people, including a seven-year-old girl, were killed and seven others were injured when a Force Cruiser MUV crashed into a stationary lorry near Bellavi Cross under Kora police limits around 5.30 am on Friday. The MUV was carrying Ayyappa devotees hailing from Koppal back to their native after visiting Sabarimala.
The deceased were identified as Sakshi (7), Maruthappa (45), Venkatesh (30), and Gavisiddappa (28), all from Kukanoor. The injured, who are being treated at Tumkur District Hospital, are Srinath (32), from Gaddigere Thanda, Pradeep Kumar (28) Rajappa (45), Huligappa (32), Rakesh (24), all from Kukanoor, and Thirupati (33) and Srinivas (32), from Gattigere.
The father of the deceased girl, Huligappa, expressed grief, saying, “My daughter Sakshi was sleeping beside me. I don’t know how the accident happened. We were returning from Sabarimala, where we had gone for darshan”.
The injured are Sakshi’s relatives and fellow devotees, who were traveling together to attend the Sabarimala festival. Superintendent of Police Ashok Venkat visited the accident scene. The police have registered a case and are investigating the incident. The bodies of the deceased have been taken to Tumkur District Hospital for post-mortem examination.
