Five persons, including three members of a family, were killed and five others injured in a devastating road accident on National Highway 63 near Bhanapur in Koppal district’s Kukanur taluk early on Saturday (June 27) after a goods vehicle crossed the road median and rammed head-on into an Omni van, police said.

The deceased have been identified as Kenchamma Balekayi (35), Amrutha Kotyal (25), driver Ramesh Ballari (45), Praveen Shivaji Balekayi and 16-year-old Chinmay. Praveen and Kenchamma were husband and wife, while Chinmay was their son, Superintendent of Police Ram L. Arasiddi said.

Five other occupants of the Omni van sustained injuries in the accident. One person is stated to be in a critical condition and has been shifted to Ballari for advanced treatment, while the remaining injured are undergoing treatment at the district hospital.

According to the police, all the victims were residents of Kabbar village in Rattihalli taluk of Haveri district and were travelling in an Omni van to Mantralayam via Koppal when the accident occurred.

Head-on collision

Preliminary investigation revealed that a goods vehicle crossed the road median and rammed head-on into the Omni van near Bhanapur, resulting in the fatal accident. The impact of the collision was so severe that the victims were thrown onto the road.

Superintendent of Police Ram L. Arasiddi rushed to the accident spot soon after receiving information about the mishap and supervised the rescue operation. He later visited the district hospital to enquire about the condition of the injured and directed officials to ensure they received prompt medical attention.

The bodies were shifted to the district hospital for post-mortem examination with the assistance of ambulance personnel, while Yelburga Circle Police Inspector Mouneshwar Patil inspected the accident site. Further investigation is underway.