Bhatkal: In two separate tragic road accidents in Karnataka, a total of eleven people lost their lives over the past two days, highlighting growing concerns over road safety on national highways.
On Thursday, six members of a family died and two others sustained injuries after their car collided with a stationary lorry on the Pune-Bangalore National Highway near Motebennur village in Byadgi taluk of Haveri district.
According to sources, the victims were travelling from Ranibennur to Hubballi to attend a family event when their speeding car rammed into the truck.
The deceased have been identified as Syed Farhan Syed Inamullah (20), Umera Syed Inamullah (11), Alisha Akhtar Naranagi (22), Farah Khan Afnan Akhtar Naranagi (14), Umme Shifa Afroz (13), and Asiya Qalandar (12). Two others—Mehek Rashid Naranagi (18) and Umme Taskin Afroz (11)—sustained serious injuries and were admitted to KIMS Hospital in Hubballi.
Haveri Superintendent of Police Anshu Kumar, who visited the site, confirmed the fatalities and said a case has been registered at the Byadgi police station.
Haveri District In-charge Minister Shivanand Patil expressed his condolences and stated that he would discuss compensation for the bereaved families with the Chief Minister.
In a separate incident reported on Tuesday, five members of another family were killed in a head-on collision between a car and a truck on NH-218 near Ingalhalli village in Dharwad district.
According to sources, the victims—Shweta, Anjali, Sandeep, Shashikala, and Vittal Shetty—were returning from an engagement ceremony in Sagar to Kulageri Cross in Bagalkot district when their vehicle collided with a truck transporting cumin from Ahmedabad to Cochin.
Dharwad Superintendent of Police Gopal Byakod confirmed that all five occupants of the car died on the spot. The truck driver claimed that the car struck his vehicle at high speed and that no other vehicles were present at the time of the accident.
Both accidents are under investigation, as police examine potential causes including overspeeding and driver negligence.