Two men lucky to be alive after loaded concrete mixer falls on car in Belagavi

BELAGAVI: Two people travelling in a car had a providential escape after a concrete mixer truck toppled on their vehicle on the Bengluru-Pune National Highway-4 bypass road after hitting the road divider on Saturday morning. One of the two men, who were trapped in the car, could be seen pleading with passersby to rescue them.

The incident comes months after a container truck overturned on a high-end car near Nelamangala on the outskirts of Bengaluru, killing all the six occupants who belonged to the same family.

Parappa Baligar and Nagappa, who hail from Bhagojikoppa in Ramdurg taluk, were bringing the car for servicing in Belagavi when the concrete-laden mixer truck, which was heading towards Sankeshwar, overturned on them. Some employees of a private firm tried to move the truck, but in vain. Soon, the police and the fire force arrived with two cranes and Parappa and Nagappa were rescued after a 45-minute operation.

With serious injuries, both occupants of the car have been admitted to a private hospital in Belagavi. Parappa Baligar, one of the survivors, said, “The truck was overtaking us when it hit the divider and toppled on our car. We didn’t know what to do. Locals called the police and the fire brigade. This is a new lease of life for us, we didn’t even think we’d survive. One of my legs was stuck and there was some weight on my chest which made breathing difficult”.

Parappa said Nagappa had sustained more injuries and is undergoing treatment in hospital. “Everything happened in a fraction of a second and we saw the truck falling on us”, he added.