Yellapura: At least 10 people were killed and several others were critically injured when a truck carrying fruits and vegetables fell into a 50-metre-deep gorge in a hill section in Yellapura of Karnataka's Uttara Kannada district, during the wee hours on Wednesday.
The incident occurred near the Kageri petrol station in Yellapur at around 5.30 am when the lorry was transporting the vegetables to a market here in the district.
More than 40 traders including vegetables and fruit vendors were travelling with their goods aboard the truck from Savanuru in Haveri district and were heading to Kumta market in Uttara Kannada district. The fruit vendors were heading to Yellapura fair to sell fruits when the accident occurred on the Savanur-Hubballi road, the Uttara Kannada Superintendent of Police M Narayana said.
"Around 5.30 am, the truck driver in a bid to give side to another vehicle went to the extreme left and fell into an about 50 metres deep valley," the official said.
The deceased were identified as Fayaz Imam Saab Jamkhandi (45), Wasim Virullah Mudageri (35), Ijaz Mustaka Mulla (20), Sadiq Bhasha Farash (30), Ghulam Hussain Jawali (40), Imtiaz Mamajafar Mulakeri (36), Alpaaz Jafar Mandakki (25), Jilani Abdul Jakhati (25) and Aslam Babuli Benny (24).
On information, police rushed to the spot and shifted the injured to KIMS Hospital in Hubballi, he said adding that no protection wall was present on the road at the accident site.
"Eight persons were killed on the spot and two got critical injuries. The injured have been shifted to the KIMS Hospital in Hubballi," the official said.
