Mangalore: Car with Family of Six Plunges into River, One Dead

Pics: Spoorthi Ullal
Daijiworld Media Network - Mangalore (NM)

Mangalore, Jun 7: An elderly lady was killed and five others of a family injured when the Maruti 800 car they were travelling in rolled off a brigde and fell into a river near Sringeri in Chikmagalur on Thursday June 7.

The deceased has been identified as Sarojini (60), wife of Dasappa Gowda, who was also injured. Dasappa's family of six was brought to Mangalore and admitted to AJ Hospital.

Dasappa and his family reside at Panja in Sullia. He and his wife along with their daughter Jyoti, son-in-law Koragappa and grandchildren Yashaswi and Bhavishya were driving from their hometown to Sringeri for 'Akshara Abhyasa'.

The accident occured at around 9.30 am, when they had reached a ghat section about 15 km away from Sringeri. The roads were slippery due to rain, and while negotiating a turn on a bridge, the car rolled over and fell into the river about 15 ft below. Koragappa wsa reportedly driving the car.

As it was a forest area, there was no mobile network, and hence the family could not call for help. For a long time they lay in the river, and finally two locals who saw them managed to stop an ambulance which was passing by. With some difficulty and effort, the ambulance driver and the two locals rescued the family and rushed them to AJ hospital.

Among the six, Sarojini breathed her last on the way to the hospital. Three of the family are serious, while among the two children Yashaswi escaped with minor injuries and Bhavishya was unhurt.