

TUMAKURU: Four Ayyappaswamy devotees, including a seven-year-old girl, died on the spot and seven others were injured when their cruiser rammed a stationary truck at Bellavi Cross on the Bengaluru-Pune NH-48 in Tumakuru district at 5.30 am on Friday.
All of them were from Kuknoor in Koppal district and were returning from a pilgrimage to Sabarimala in Kerala.
The deceased have been identified as Sakshi (7), Marutappa (45), Venkatesha (30) and Gavisiddappa (28). There were eleven persons in the cruiser and the driver might have dozed off, said Superintendent of Police Ashok K V, adding that the injured, including the driver, were shifted to a hospital and their condition is stable.
The Kora police registered a case.