A trip to Kodachadri turned tragic for a group of tourists from Kerala when an insulated transport vehicle collided head-on with the multi-utility vehicle (MUV) in which they were returning from Kodachadri to Kollur, leaving two of them dead and eight others injured on Sunday, at Dali near Kollur in Udupi district.

The deceased have been identified as Jyothi, 34, who succumbed at the Kundapura Government Hospital and Ariya Anup, 26, who died at a private hospital in Manipal. The injured are Ayan, 5, Avani, 9, Arjun, 9, Mini, 60, Aby, 37, Anup, 37, Jyothi, 43 and the MUV driver Devaraj. The injured have been shifted to hospitals in Kundapura and Manipal. The tourists are said to be from Kottayam.

The accident occurred when the tourists were returning from Kodachadri via Nagodi Ghat to Kollur. The impact of the head-on collision was severe, as the tourists remained trapped inside the MUV due to the impact. The driver of the insulated vehicle reportedly fled the spot.

The Kollur police have registered a case and are investigating.