Four from Belagavi among six killed in MP road accident
The incident took place when the victims were returning from the Maha Kumbh Mela held at Prayagraj in Uttar Pradesh
Six people, including four pilgrims from Belagavi, were killed and 16 sustained injuries in a road accident that took place at Mhow-Khalghat near Indore in Madhya Pradesh on Friday morning, police officers aware of the matter said.
The incident took place when the victims were returning from the Maha Kumbh Mela held at Prayagraj in Uttar Pradesh and the tempo traveller in which they were travelling collided with a bike and later crashed into a dumper truck. Among the deceased, the four from Belagavi were travelling on the tempo, while the remaining two were on the bike, they added.
Karnataka Public Works Department minister Satish Jarkiholi, who is also in charge of Belagavi district, expressed condolences over the tragedy and confirmed the identities of the deceased as tempo traveller driver Sagar Shahapurkar from Basavanna Galli, Neeta Badamanji from Kranti Nagar, Sangeeta Metri from Shivaji Nagar, and Jyoti Khandekar from Vadagavi.
The accident occurred around 5am when the vehicle, carrying 20 pilgrims — 16 of whom were from Belagavi — was en route to Indore. According to preliminary reports, the driver lost control on a downhill stretch, first hitting a bike before crashing into a dumper truck. The bikers, who were from Dhar-Khalghat in Madhya Pradesh, also died on the spot, police said.
An injured passenger told police that the vehicle was moving at a high speed when the driver lost control. “The crash happened within seconds, we barely had any time to react,” the survivor told police officers.
The Belagavi district administration has been coordinating with its Indore counterpart to facilitate the return of the bodies and ensure medical care for the injured. Minister Jarkiholi said that efforts were on to bring back the victims at the earliest.
Belagavi Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MP Jagadish Shettar confirmed that he was in touch with the Madhya Pradesh government. “I am in constant contact with the officials concerned regarding the situation. While the identity of the two other deceased bikers is yet to be confirmed, the remaining injured have suffered minor injuries. We are working to bring everyone back to Karnataka soon,” he said.
Belagavi deputy commissioner Mohammed Roshan assured that the administration was closely monitoring the situation. “Apart from the deceased, all other injured passengers are being treated at a government hospital in Indore and are reported to have sustained minor injuries,” he said.
Local police in Manpur, Madhya Pradesh, are investigating the accident. Officials noted that the tempo traveller was severely damaged in the collision, and arrangements were being made to transport the injured back to Karnataka.
One of the survivors told police that poor visibility due to darkness and the steep slope led to the driver losing control of the vehicle. “Even before we realised what was happening, we had already rammed into the dumper,” the survivor recounted.