Car plunges into 15-foot gorge along NH 73 in Belthangady; five injured

Car plunges into 15-foot gorge along NH 73 in Belthangady; five injured

Mangalore Today News Network

Belthangady, Nov 12, 2026: Five of the six occupants of a car were injured after the vehicle overturned and plunged into a nearly 15-foot-deep gorge beside National Highway 73 at Nidigal in Kalmnja village in the early hours of Thursday.

The injured were shifted to a private hospital in Ujire for treatment. All five are reported to be out of danger.

The car, reportedly belonging to people from Belagavi, was travelling from Charmadi towards Ujire along the national highway. When it reached Nidigal, the driver reportedly lost control of the vehicle. The car veered towards the extreme right side of the road before plunging into the roadside gorge and overturning.

The impact left five of the six occupants injured.

Highway construction work is currently underway at the accident spot, where a deep gorge runs alongside the road. However, the installation of safety barriers to prevent vehicles from plunging into the gorge has not yet been completed.

Local residents expressed anger over the lack of adequate safety measures, stating that the absence of protective barriers in such dangerous stretches could lead to accidents.

Soon after the incident, locals rushed to the spot, rescued the injured occupants and helped transport them to the hospital. Fortunately, all the occupants escaped a potentially serious tragedy.