Gulbarga, Oct 6 (The Hindu): Fourteen people were crushed to death and six sustained serious injuries when the jeep in which they were travelling collided with a speeding lorry on the Jewargi-Bijapur national highway near Sonna village in Jewargi taluk on Friday night.

According to information received at the district headquarters, the overcrowded jeep was coming towards Jewargi from Sindagi in Bijapur district and the lorry was going towards Sindagi. Reports said that the police had removed seven bodies from the mangled remains of the jeep.

Heavy rain was hampering efforts to remove the remaining bodies from inside the jeep.

Twelve of the victims were identified as Yellappa Sharanappa (40), Savitri Yellappa (35), Shankarappa S. Sapadala (50), Yemanappa C. (30), Nagappa Huliappa Chenagundi (45), Fakrappa Huliappa Chenagundi (50), Aiyamma B. Mudanur (55), Avvamma S. Mudanur (35), Chanappa Pujari (50), Siddappa Pujari (30), Lakshmibai Doddayellappa Gogi (50), and Shankarappa Chennagundi (35).

According to the police, the victims were returning from Yeragal village near Sindagi after attending a funeral when the accident occurred. Reports said that all the victims were form Haranur village in Jewargi taluk.

The six injured persons, whose condition was said to be critical, were rushed to the Government General Hospital in Gulbarga city.