Date:16/07/2002 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2002/07/16/stories/2002071602850600.htm

Southern States - Karnataka

Seven killed in bus-van collision

By Our Staff Correspondent

The van and the bus which collided on the Bangalore-Mangalore National highway near Channarayapatna in Hassan district on Monday.

HASSAN JULY 15. Seven persons died on the spot and three were injured in a collision between a Toyota Qualis, in which they were travelling, and a private bus at Annenahalli gate on the Bangalore-Mangalore National Highway 48 early today. All the victims were from Bangalore.

Police gave the names of the dead as: Girish (31) of Vinayakumar Nagar, driver of the vehicle, Narasimhaiah (25) and Manjunath (20) of Srinivasanagar, Tulasi Prasad (24) of Venkateshapura, K.C. Channamallikarjunaiah of Vidyanagara, and Shyam Prakash (24) and N. Nagendra Kumar (22) of Chamarajpet. The injured, Babu, Mohan Kumar and Raju, have been admitted to NIMHANS, Bangalore.

Police said the group was returning to Bangalore after visiting pilgrim centres in Dakshina Kannada district.

The Superintendent of Police, M.A. Saleem, who visited the spot, told The Hindu that the victims were inebriated. The bus was going to Mangalore.

The Channarayapatna Rural Police have registered a case based on a complaint from Babu.

Mr. Saleem said the injured were shifted to Bangalore in the Sanjeevini Quick Reaction Team ambulance, as the ambulance at the Government Hospital in Channarayapatna did not have enough fuel.