Three pilgrims died after a private sleeper coach bus ploughed into a group of people walking on a padayatra to the Huligemma Devi temple at Huligi in Karnataka’s Koppal district in the early hours of Tuesday, the police said. Several others sustained injuries and were admitted to Koppal District Hospital.
The police identified the deceased as Annapoorna, 40, her son Sharanappa, 19, and Prakash, 25, all residents of Tallihala village of Rona taluk in Gadag district. They were part of a group of 15 pilgrims, four of whom have been admitted to hospital for treatment.
According to Ram Arasiddi, Superintendent of Police, Koppal, the incident took place on NH 50 when a bus travelling from Sindagi to Bengaluru lost control and rammed into the pilgrims who were merely three hours from their destination. They had already walked for more than 100 km in three days.
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A case has been registered at the Munirabad police Station, and further investigations are underway.
Pilgrims undertake a padayatra every year to the temple in Huligi, a town located on the bank of the Tungabhadra river. The temple attracts pilgrims from North Karnataka, Maharashtra, and Andhra Pradesh. Participants in padayatras walk mostly at night and stay away from the sun during the day.
In another incident, a 28-year-old pilgrim was killed after a bike hit him from behind on Monday night. The deceased was identified as Veeresh Hallikeri, a resident of Kukanoor village in Koppal district. He was part of a nine-member group headed to the temple on a padayatra.
According to a relative of Veeresh, the pilgrims started their journey from Kukanoor and were walking.
“The bus that was heading at a high speed hit them from behind. He did not have a chance to escape. We called the ambulance eight to 10 times, but they did not respond. It was the police who shifted the victims in their vehicle,” he added.
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The Kukanoor police have registered a case and are investigating the incident.