New Delhi/Bengaluru, July 9 (IANS) Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday expressed grief over the death of six people in a road accident in Karnataka’s Uttara Kannada district.

In a message, the Prime Minister said he was deeply saddened by the tragic accident in Karwar, Uttara Kannada district.

“The tragic accident in Karwar, Uttara Kannada district, has caused deep anguish. My heartfelt condolences are with the bereaved families during this difficult time. I pray for the speedy recovery of those injured,” Prime Minister Narendra Modi said.

At least six people, all of them friends, were killed and four others were critically injured after a Cruiser collided head-on with a truck at Balagar in the Arabail Ghat section of Yellapura taluk in Karwar district on Thursday morning.

The victims, all residents of Dharwad, were travelling to Dharmasthala and Chikkamagaluru on a tour when the accident occurred. According to the police, the group, including the driver, worked as part-time delivery executives for an online food ordering and delivery company and had left Dharwad on Wednesday night for the trip.

Police said the truck, which was travelling from Yellapura towards Ankola, rammed into the Cruiser near Balagar. The impact of the collision was so severe that the passenger vehicle was completely mangled, killing six occupants on the spot.

The deceased have been identified as Basavaraj (48), Abhisheik Eshwar (28), Akshay Mallannanvar (26), Abhishek Mallesh Mudabavi (26), Sanjeeva, and Sanjaya Angadi (30).

The injured, identified as Shivaraj Durgappa Madival, Manjunath Ashok Chulaki, Sachin, and Channabasayya Basalingaiah Sampagaon, were rescued by local residents and rushed to a nearby hospital. All four are undergoing treatment in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU), and their condition is stated to be critical.

The Yellapura police rushed to the scene and shifted the bodies for post-mortem examination. The families of the deceased have been informed. A case has been registered, and an investigation is underway to ascertain the exact cause of the accident. The police stated that the death toll is likely to go up in the tragedy.

–IANS

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