Gulbarga: At least 16 people were killed and 12 injured in a head-on collision between a Max pick-up van and a passenger bus near Kodal Hangarga Cross in Aland taluk on the Wagdhari-Ribbanpalli inter-state highway, about 28 km from here, in the wee hours of Monday.
As many 13 people were killed on the spot and three died at the District General Hospital where the injured have also been admitted.|
The accident occurred when the Hospet-Jidga North Eastern Karnataka Road Transport Corporation (NEKRTC) bus collided with the van in which 27 pilgrims of Station Tadwal village in Akkalkot taluk of Solapur district in Maharashtra were travelling.
According to preliminary reports, the accident occurred around 4.30 am due to the bus driver losing his control over the steering. The van has been completely mangled.
The passengers, all related to one another, were on their way to Gulbarga to perform the head tonsuring ceremony of a girl child at the Khaja Bandanwaz Dargah here.
The dead include four children and five women.
The deceased have been identified as Bismilla Mulla (40), Jannat Khajamiya Mulla (43), Reshma Khajamiya (8), Nabilal Mohammed Mulla (51), his wife Maimoonbi Mulla (50), Ramzan Dadamiya Mulla (21), Bashamadar Mulla (60), Mousin Sikandar Mulla (14), Hussain Madarsab Mulla (20), Riyana Shaikh (30), Mumtaz Mehmood Lavane (40), Baba Khajamiya Mulla (4), Parveen Sikandar Mulla (35), Noorjahan Razak Mulla (30), Samir Sikandar Mulla (8), and driver Kamalakar Bhargude (40).
The girl child, Shafiya Shajid Dharawale, whose head tonsuring ceremony was to be held, has survived with injuries. She is said to be responding well to treatment.
A sheep meant for sacrifice during the ceremony has also survived.
Among the injured, the condition of five is said to be critical. Bus driver Ravi and conductor Venkatesh have been admitted to a private hospital.
District in-charge minister Qamarul Islam and Aland MLA B R Patil visited the spot.
The minister has announced a compensation of Rs 1 lakh – Rs 1.5 lakh from the government and Rs 50,000 from the NEKRTC to the family of the victims.
