A tragic road accident claimed three lives after a KSRTC Rajahamsa bus collided head-on with a car near Shiradi Ghat in Dakshina Kannada on the Mangaluru–Bengaluru National Highway.
The accident occurred near Gundya in Puttur taluk when the bus and the car crashed into each other with great impact.
Three Die on the Spot
The victims have been identified as Shridhar Marakada and Janardhan Kerimar, both residents of Ujire, and Chandrashekhar Gowda, a resident of Kokkada. All three died on the spot due to the severity of the collision.
Another passenger in the car, Suresh, sustained critical injuries and was immediately shifted to a hospital in Mangaluru for treatment. He is reportedly the president of a local milk producers’ cooperative society.
Returning After Attending Wedding
According to reports, the four individuals were travelling together in a Swift car and were returning to Ujire after attending a wedding in Sakleshpur.
At the same time, a KSRTC Rajahamsa bus traveling from Mangaluru towards Tirupati reached the Gundya stretch of Shiradi Ghat. The two vehicles collided head-on, resulting in the fatal crash.
Car Completely Mangled
The impact of the collision was so severe that the front portion of the car was completely crushed, trapping the occupants inside. The accident also caused a major traffic jam on the busy highway for some time.
Police and emergency teams rushed to the spot and later cleared the damaged vehicles, restoring traffic movement.
Police Investigation Underway
Officials from the Uppinangady Police Station visited the accident site and conducted a preliminary investigation.
Authorities are working to determine the exact cause of the crash, while local residents have expressed concern over frequent accidents along the winding Shiradi Ghat stretch of the highway.
