Pics: RK Durga Digitals
Daijiworld Media Network - Udupi (SP)
Udupi, Aug 22: In a ghastly accident that occurred on the national highway 17 at Kaup on Thursday August 21 evening involving a truck and a minibus, a boy named Chirag from Suratkal lost his life.
The minibus was moving towards Suratkal from the city while the lorry was on its way to the city from Kaup direction, when the tragedy occurred. Five-year-old Chirag was travelling in the mini-bus. A total of 23 passengers of the mini-bus sustained severe and minor injuries in the accident.
Chirag was the son of Umesh, a cloth merchant from Mangalore and Harinaskhi. Most of the injured passengers of the minibus are from Mangalore, Suratkal and Haleangadi areas. They reportedly were returning to their hometowns after taking part in a religious function at a hotel in the city.
Minibus driver Subhas (38) and a passenger named Sankappa Salian (60) were grievously injured. Other injured passengers Pushpa (25), mother of the deceased boy Harinakshi (30), Harish Suvarna (45), Usha (20), Lakshmi (38), Vrinda (25), Vrishchika (7), Parvati (48), Anasuya (57), Hemalata (52), Radha (48), Mamata (34), Lokesh (26), Narasimha (57), Jarappa (60), Yamuna (61), Rahul (6), Rupesh (38), Yashika (2) and several others are being treated at a private hospital here.
Reckless driving by the truck driver is said to be the reason for the accident. The truck swerved and hit the minibus which was on its course. The front portion of the mini-bus was badly mangled in the incident. Locals volunteered to help the victims and move the vehicles away from the road. Traffic came to a standstill after the accident for some time. The local people complained that the ambulance of the local government hospital did not help the victims to get timely medical help. The injured were carried in the police van.
Kaup circle inspector Vinay Nayak visited the spot. Kaup police station in-charge Joyce Antony has registered a case in this regard.