HASSAN: At least nine people have been killed after a tanker lorry rammed into a Ganpati immersion procession in Karnataka’s Hassan district.The driver was arrested on Friday. The incident took place on Thursday evening in Mosale Hosalli village when the vehicle, reportedly being driven recklessly, crashed into the crowd.According to Hassan police, the truck driver has been identified as Bhuvenesh, a resident of Katte Belaguli village in Holenarasipura taluk of the district. “He is currently in the ICU, and we have drawn blood for analysis,” said a senior police officer.
“Yesterday, between 8 pm and 8:45 pm, a tanker lorry was found to have driven recklessly into a Ganpati immersion procession in Mosale Hosalli. 9 people died in this incident, and the driver was also injured. 6 villagers and 3 engineering students have died,” IGP Boralingaiah told reporters.Villagers from Mosalehosahalli were holding the procession on one side of the four-laned NH-373. Police had blocked the road while diverting traffic on the other lane. The truck, which had been moving towards Holenarasipura, jumped over the median and crashed into the crowd of devotees around 8.30pm.Villagers claimed the truck driver ended up hitting the procession, which was to end in five minutes, to avoid a biker. The wounded were rushed to Hassan Institute of Medical Sciences and other private hospitals in the district, about 20km away.More than 20 others were injured and are undergoing treatment. Karnataka chief minister Siddaramiah said he was “deeply saddened” by the tragedy and announced financial support for the victims’ families. “It is deeply saddening to learn news of several people losing their lives and over 20 others seriously injured when a lorry collided with a procession heading for Ganesh immersion in Hassan. I pray that the souls of the deceased find peace and that the injured recover as quickly as possible.”“On behalf of the government, a compensation of Rs. 5 lakh each will be provided to the families of the deceased. The government will also bear the medical expenses for the treatment of those injured in the incident. This is a profoundly painful moment. Let us all stand with the families affected by this tragedy.” Former chief minister HD Kumaraswamy also expressed his grief, calling the crash a “most unfortunate incident.” “I am deeply shocked to hear the news of a horrific accident during the Ganapati immersion procession at Mosalehosahalli in Hassan Taluk, where several people lost their lives and more than 20 were seriously injured. It is extremely saddening that devotees lost their lives after being run over by a truck during the Ganapati procession. This is a most unfortunate incident. May God grant peace to the departed souls and give strength to the grieving families to bear the pain. I pray for the speedy recovery of all the injured. The State Government must take steps to provide the best free treatment to the injured.”JD(S) MLA HD Revanna arrived at the scene and supervised relief efforts. He blamed cops, arguing they should have regulated the speed of the vehicle. JD(S) MLC Suraj Revanna claimed police deployment was not enough for the procession. Hassan MP Shreyas and MLA Swaroop, deputy commissioner Latha Kumari and the SP also visited the spot. Police said investigations are underway into the circumstances of the crash.Postmortems of all nine deceased were completed by 3 a.m. on Saturday, and the bodies were handed over to their families. According to authorities, District In-Charge Minister Krishna Byre Gowda remained in touch with the district administration regarding the treatment of the injured and the postmortems of the deceased until early morning. They claimed that this was the first time such postmortems were conducted at night in the state. Minister Krishna Byre Gowda is visiting the accident site, the families of the deceased, and the hospital where the injured are being treated today. Meanwhile, Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed his condolences over the incident. In his message posted on X, he stated that the mishap in Hassan, Karnataka, is heart-rending. “In this tragic hour, my thoughts are with the bereaved families. I hope those who have been injured recover at the earliest,” he said. An ex-gratia of Rs. 2 lakh from the PMNRF will be given to the next of kin of each deceased, while the injured will receive Rs. 50,000.
