Bengaluru: Ten women who wanted to celebrate their new-found freedom in Goa post COVID-19 lockdown were killed in a dastardly accident in Karnataka’s Dharwad district. The minibus collided with a tipper truck on the Hubballi-Dharwad bypass near Itigatti. The driver of the minibus was also killed on the spot.
Among the deceased was the daughter-in-law of a former BJP MLA from Davangere’s Jagalur, Preethi Ravikumar.
The accident took place around 8 am on Friday.
The women were part of 16 members of Davangere and members of the Ladies Club.
According to the Dharwad Rural Police, the group had decided to visit their friend in Dharwad for breakfast and had taken a detour. It was while the minibus was crossing the Hubbali-Dharwad bypass that it collided head-on with the tipper truck.
Those who died were Asha, Meerabai, Paranjyoti, Rajeshwari, Shakuntala, Usha, Veda, Veena, Manjula, Nirmala, Rajaneesh, Swati and Preethi Ravikumar. Five women and the driver of the tipper truck sustained critical injuries and are currently undergoing treatment at KIMS Hospital in Hubballi.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi condoled the death of the 11 people. In a tweet, he said, “Saddened by the loss of lives due to a road accident in Karnataka’s Dharwad district. In this sad hour, my thoughts are with the bereaved families. I pray for a quick recovery of those injured.”
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