BELAGAVI: Six persons including five from Belagavi district died and 20 others suffered critical injuries when a private bus owned by SRS Travels rammed into a stationary truck from behind near Satara, Maharashtra, on NH-4 (Golden Quadrilateral) early on Thursday morning.
According to sources, a majority of the 30 passengers hailed from different parts of Belagavi district. Condition of 15 of the 20 injured is stated to be critical.
The deceased persons have been identified as Vishwanath Virupakshi (57) from Gaddi-Sankeshwar, Hukkeri taluk, Abbas Ali Katagi (43) from Angol- Belagavi, Dr Sachin Gowda Patil Vishwanath Virupakshi (57) from Gaddi-Sankeshwar, Hukkeri taluk, Dr Sachin Gowda Patil (32) from Sankeshwar and another Gundu Tukaram Gawade. They were residents of the Belagavi.
According to the police, the bus driver did not notice the truck which was parked near a petrol pump on Satara outskirts because of a tyre burst. All six died on the spot as soon as the bus rammed into the stationary truck. A team of police officials from Satara that rushed to the spot shifted the dead and injured to the hospital.
According to police sources, most of the passengers on the bus were asleep when the incident occurred. It took several hours for the police to clear the massive traffic jam caused due to the mishap on NH-4 that connects Pune to Bengaluru