13 persons killed in horrific highway accident in Tumakuru, Karnataka

Tumakuru (Karnataka): In a horrific accident involving two cars, 13 people, including a six-month baby, were killed at Balada Kere Gate in Kunigal taluk of karnataka at around noon today.

The accident left at least two others critically injured. They are being treated in a hospital in Bengaluru.

Ten of those killed in the accident were from Tamil Nadu who were returning from a pilgrimage to Dharmasthala; three were residents of Bengaluru.

The car, a Maruti Brezza, with three persons from Bengaluru crashed into the median on the highway, flipped over and collided with another car, a Chevrolet Tavera, carrying the pilgrims returning from Dharmasthala.

The car in which youths from Bengaluru were heading towards Kunigal were said to be in an inebriated condition.

According to the police, the pilgrims were from Seekanapalli village in Tamil Nadu were returning from Dharmasthala, a popular Hindu pilgrim centre in Dakshina Kannada via Kunigal in Tumakuru district.

 Poice kdeintified those killed as Manjunath (35), Tanuja (25), Gowramma (60), Ratnamma (52), Sundar Raj (48), Rajendra (28), Sarala (32), Prashanya (14), Malashree (4) and a six-month baby whose name was not known.

The three men from Bengaluru were identified as Lakshmikanth (24), a resident of Hunasemaradapalya, Sandeep (36), a resident of Gerupalya, and Madhu (28), a resident of Ramohalli.

Four travelers in the Brezza car from Bengaluru--Swetha, Harpeetha, Gangothri and Prakash-- were injured and were treated at a hospital.

The Kunigal police have registered a case.