Hassan, Sep 13: The death toll in the tragic incident in Karnataka's Hassan district, where a goods-laden truck ran over people participating in the Ganesh Visarjan procession, has risen to nine.

Twenty people injured in the incident on Friday are being treated at various hospitals.

Among the injured, three have been shifted to the ICU. Authorities have opened a new ward for the injured, who are being monitored every 30 minutes.

South IGP M.B. Boralingaiah stated that the negligence of the truck driver led to the tragedy.

The deceased have been identified as Praveen, a final-year engineering student from Ballary; 17-year-old Rajesh, a resident of K.B. Palya near Halekote, Holenarasipura town in Hassan; 17-year-old Eshwar from Danayakanahalli Koppalu; 17-year-old Gokul from Muttigehirehalli; 25-year-old Kumara from Kabbinahalli; 25-year-old Praveen; 23-year-old Mithun from Gangapura village in Chitradurga district; 19-year-old Suresh from Manenahalli in Chikkamagaluru district; and 55-year-old Prabhakar from Bantarahalli in Hassan district.

Among the deceased, Mithun had celebrated his birthday on Friday, and after the celebration, he joined the Ganesh Visarjan procession with his friends. He was in his final year of study and was expected to complete his course in three months.

The accident occurred on National Highway 373, on the stretch between Hassan and Mysuru.

IGP Boralingaiah confirmed the deaths of nine persons in the tragedy. Of the deceased, six were locals, and three were students from Ballary, Chikkamagaluru, and Chitradurga. The driver's negligence was cited as the reason for the accident.

The truck first rammed into barricades and then ran over the crowd. The driver is also injured and is being treated at a private hospital. Legal action has been initiated against him, he stated.

Hassan SP Mohammad Sujitha stated that the incident occurred at 8 p.m. Preliminary findings suggest that the driver was travelling from Hassan towards Holenarasipura.

Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah expressed his condolences over the tragic incident in which the truck ran over the Ganesh Visarjan crowd, resulting in nine deaths and more than 20 injuries.

"The government will provide a compensation of Rs 5 lakh each to the families of the deceased. The government will also bear the medical expenses of the injured in this incident," he stated.

(IANS)

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