11 killed as trucks catch fire after collision

Eleven persons,including three women and six children, were charred to death and 42 others injured on Wednesday when two trucks caught fire after a collision at Kalledevarapura, 70 km from Davengere, police said.

Eleven persons, including three women and six children, were charred to death and 42 others injured on Wednesday when two trucks caught fire after a collision at Kalledevarapura, 70 km from Davengere, police said.

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The victims were returning from Mandya to their village in Kudligi Taluk in Bellary district in one of the trucks while the other was transporting new two-wheelers from Sholapur to Bangalore when the accident occurred in the early hours on National Highway 13.

The injured, including three with serious burns, have been admitted to Jagalur and Davangere hospitals, the police said, adding that several two-wheelers were also gutted in the fire.

Fire tenders from Jagalur were took nearly an hour to extinguish the fire.

The driver of the truck that was carrying the villagers is among the deceased. Six children who died were aged between one and seven, the police said. A hunt is on to arrest the driver of the other truck.