Bijapur: Eighteen pilgrims were killed near Chikka Sindagi village when a private bus rammed into their SUV, 6 km from Sangli town in Karnataka, on Monday.
These persons had visited Ganagpur, a religious centre in Gulbarga and were returning to Sangli when accident took place. Senior police officer of Indi sub-division of Karnataka, S Maheshwarappa, said, “The accident occurred at 2.45 pm when the private bus going from Bijapur to Gulbarga hit a cruiser passenger van coming from the opposite direction on national highway 218. All the deceased were travelling in the SUV.”
The dead include 13 men, three women and a 10-year-old girl. Sixteen of the 20 people in the SUV were killed on the spot.
Dr. Ranjeeta Kulkarni, medical officer of the hospital said that five persons (three SUV passengers and two bus passengers) were admitted to Sindagi Government Hospital. The condition of three of the injured is critical. Later, some of the injured were taken to Bijapur Government Hospital. 18 from Sangli killed as bus rams SUV near Bijapur.
As soon as we got the news, we sent a team of policemen with an ambulance and medical assistance to the spot. The place is around 70 km away from Jath.” Traffic on the highway was blocked for nearly a kilometer on both sides of the accident spot. The police used JCB machines to move the bus and jeep off the road.
Sangli superintendent of police Dilip Sawant said, “We have received information from the Bijapur SP about the accident. All pilgrims belong to Jath and Kavatemahankal taluka of Sangli district.
Bureau Report
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