Kalaburagi (Karnataka), Apr 5: Five people, including a 13-year-old girl, died and 11 others were injured after a mini bus they were travelling in allegedly rammed into a parked truck near Nelogi Cross in Jewargi taluk of this district in the wee hours of Saturday, police said.
The passengers, all residents of Bagalkote, were en route a dargah in the Kalaburagi district when the accident occurred at around 3.30 AM, they said.
According to the police, the truck whose tyre got punctured was parked on the left side of the road. The driver was busy changing the tyre when the mini bus carrying passengers to dargah hit the truck from behind.
The impact of the accident was such that five people died on the spot while several other passengers were injured, A Srinivasulu, Superintendent of Police of Kalaburagi, said.
Citing preliminary inquiry, another police officer said that the driver of the mini bus, which was allegedly speeding, fell asleep and lost control of the vehicle and ended up hitting the parked truck.
Those injured have been shifted to a hospital where they are undergoing treatment, he said.
Initially, police thought that the driver of the mini bus must have fled the spot after the accident, only to later find him lying on the road in a pool of blood. He is undergoing treatment at the hospital and is stated to be in a critical condition, police said.
A case has been registered for causing death due to negligence under section 106 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita and further investigation is underway. (PTI)
