Daijiworld Media Network – Beltangady (SP)

Beltangady, May 4: After a jeep carrying pilgrims met with an accident and fell into a gorge a few metres away from the main arch in Dharmasthala on Monday May 3, 17 pilgrims sustained injuries of different degrees.

The ill-fated vehicle was a local jeep doing to and fro service trips for carrying pilgrims to the temple. The injured have been identified as Shruti (12), Megha (10), Venkatesh (9), Kalamma (25), Chodamma (4), Swamy (9), Venkatramana (24), Sunaina (5), Sangamesh (26), Baby Sangamesh (3), Kusuma (26), Lakshmi (30), Hanumaiah (30), Shobha (30), Halappa (27), Putta (40), and Chaitra (13). All of the injured hail from Holenarasipur in Hassan district and Bangalore. Among them, conditions of Putta, Halappa and Sobha are stated to be serious.

The jeep was ferrying pilgrims from Ujire to Dharmasthala temple. A few metres before reaching the main arch of Dharmasthala, it hit a Tempo Trax vehicle coming from the opposite direction, swerved away from road, jumped over the roadside kerb, brushed against a tree, and jumped into a 30 feet deep gorge after negotiating  a two feet high platform. All the injured were admitted into a private hospital in Ujire.