Five young men returning to the city from a trip were killed when their car collided head-on with a BMTC bus near Somanahalli on Kanakapura Road on Saturday evening.
The deceased have been identified as Syed Ayub Pasha and Mohammad Jubed, residents of Ashoknagar; Yasir Khan, a resident of Neelasandra; and Yarab Abbas and Mayur Sharma of Shantinagar. They were aged between 20 and 25 years and were all students of Oxford Institute of Management Studies in Bommanahalli. Two of them, who had completed their course but had to clear some papers, were working in a private company.
Police said the deceased had gone to Mekedatu and Sangam on Saturday in their Swift car (KA-03 ML-9825). On their way back, they stopped at a resort at Nelguli near Somanahalli where they had lunch and allegedly consumed alcohol. Police said their blood samples have been sent for tests to ascertain whether they were drunk.
Around 4 pm, near APS College of Engineering, while overtaking another vehicle the front right tyre of their car burst. The car went out of control and swerved to the right and rammed into the bus (KA-01 F-1241) which was coming from the city. The front portion of the car was crushed and got jammed into the bus.
Eyewitness said the bus, 213D, was going to Kanakapura from K R Market. Speeding and overtaking by the car led to the accident, they said.
The bodies were shifted to Raja Rajeswari Hospital and will be handed over to their families after an autopsy, police said.
Talaghattapura police have registered a case and have arrested the BMTC driver. Traffic had come to a standstill for nearly four hours on the road.