Belthangady: 4 die, 6 injured in auto-tempo collision near Laila bridge

Mangalore Today News Network

Belthangady, Oct 21, 2013:  Four persons including a   two year old kid lost their lives and six others sustained serious injuries in a head on collision between a mini passenger tempo and an Ape Autorickshaw  near Laila Bridge on October 20, Sunday. It has been learnt that the recklessness of the autorickshaw driver resulted in the mishap.

The mishap is learnt to have occurred when the speeding auto hit against the tempo in its bid to overtake a lorry. If two persons including the kid died on the spot, two others  breathed their last in the hospital. All the dead were the autorickshaw passengers.

The deceased have been identified as Hassainar (40), Mohammed Irfan (2), Zainabi (30) and Nasir (13). The injured are  Nafisa (55), Zohra (40), Mariamma (35), Dilshad (12) and Sharief (24), the autorickshaw driver. The tempo driver Chethan however sustained only minor injuries.

The passengers in the autorickshaw were on way home after attending a family function at  Kajoor while the tempo had pilgrims who were on way to Dharmasthala temple after visiting other pilgrim shrines at Udupi, Kateel and Kollur.
The impact of the collision was such that both vehicles were badly damaged. Traffic also came to a halt on the route for nearly one and a half hours following the accident.

Belthangady police have registered a case.