Dharwad, May 8 (DHNS): As many as five persons were killed on the spot and 20 injured, when a private bus rammed a vehicle hired by a marriage party on Kolhapur-Sankeshwar Road, in the early hours of Thursday.

According to police, the deceased have been identified as Ashabi Handaragal (70), Shaheeda Handaragal, Shabia Handaragal, Shaheen Handaragal (14) and Yasmin Handaragal.

The were on the way to Pune, to attend the marriage ceremony of Irfan from Jannatnagar in Dharwad, when the accident took place. The marriage party left Dharwad on Wednesday night and after travelling some distance, parked the vehicle on the roadside at around 2 am. A VRL bus rammed into the parked vehicle, leaving Ashabi, Shahida and Shabia dead on the spot. While Shaheen and Yasmin died on their way to hospital.

A pall of gloom descended at Jannatnagar, as soon as the news of death reached Dharwad. A large number of relatives gathered to mourn their deaths.