DHARWAD: Nine people of a marriage party were killed when the multi-utility vehicle they were travelling in crashed into a tree and turned turtle on the outskirts of Dharwad early Saturday morning. While seven people died on the spot, two others succumbed to their injuries in a hospital. Of the nine dead, eight belonged to one family and were residing in and around Benkankatti.
The accident happened when the driver lost control trying to overtake another vehicle on Mansur-Benkankatti Road near Nigadi. The deceased have been identified as Ananya (14), Harsha (13), Shilpa (34), Nelavva (43), Madushree (20), Maheshwarayya (11), Chennavva, (45), Manushree, (16) and Shambulingayya (44). Channavva and Manushri died at the hospital.
The injured — Aradhya Huttamallanavar (5), Akankasha Huttammallanavar (11), Sagar Dasankoppa (12), Muttu Marigoudar and Nirmala Dasankoppa (45) — are being treated at various hospitals. Some injured have also been admitted to KIMS Hospital in Hubballi. It is said 20 people were travelling when the accident occurred. They were heading to Benkankatti after attending a marriage function in Mansur village.
The marriage was earlier planned in front of groom Manjunath Dasankoppa’s residence in Benkankatti, but due to heavy rain, the family members thought it would be difficult to perform religious rituals and shifted the venue.
Death of beloved grandson leaves family shattered
13-year-old Harsha Angadi had two ambitions in life — to become a civil servant and take care of his grandmother. But destiny had something else in store for him. Harsha was among the nine people who died in the Dharwad accident. Harsha was a Class 7 student in Nigadi government school.
A native of Mangundi, Harsha was staying with his grandmother Kusumavathi, who is in her late 60s, at Nigadi.
On hearing the devastating news, Kusumavathi fainted and was rushed to a private hospital. “Harsha was told to stay back in Mangundi during the Covid lockdown. However, his love towards his grandmother pulled him to Nigadi. He left his parents to stay with his grandmother. He was very studious,” Shivanand, the boy’s relative, told TNSE. “If someone gave him money, he used to save it for his grandmother. His parents decided to shift him to city for better education... but he never agreed... he wanted to be with his grandmother,” said a neighbour.