KOPPAL: Three people on padayatra to the famous Huligemma Devi temple at Huligi in Koppal district died on the spot and four others were injured after a private bus hit them in the early hours of Tuesday. A group of seven devotees from Tallihal in Gadag district were walking to Huligi. The accident occured at NH 50 near Kukanapalli.
The deceased have been identified as Annapurna (40) Prakash (25) and Sharanappa (19). The injured are being treatment at Koppal District Hospital. One of the injured said the family members Annapurna and her son, Sharanappa, were insistent on walking to the temple.
“We started the padayatra from Ron taluk’s Tallihal on Saturday and were near Huligi on Monday night. We had planned to spend the night at a petrol bunk near Kukanapalli and start our journey early next morning. But the accident happened before we reached the petrol bunk,” added a padayatra group member.
In another road mishap, a youth who was also on his way to the temple died after a bike hit him near Bhanapur in Koppal district. Veeresh Hallikeri (28) and eight others were going on a padayatra to Huligi when a speeding bike hit Veeresh, killing him on the spot.