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Twenty-two people, including nine children and nine women, were killed and 32 injured when a mini truck on which they were travelling overturned near Halki Cross on the Belgaum-Bagalkot state highway in Savadatti taluk, Belgaum district, on Saturday morning.
All the 54 passengers were labourers from three Lambani Tandas—Uppaldinni Tanda, Erkal Tanda, IB Tanda—in Surpur taluk, Yadgir district, and were on their way to Kusal village near Savantwadi in Sindhdurg district, Maharashtra, for work.

A similar accident occurred near Belgaum in 2002,  killing 21 labourers from Surpur taluk. They, too, were going to Maharashtra in search of employment.

Inspector General of Police (northern range) Bhaskar Rao attributed the accident to over speeding and driver fatigue. Passengers died due to suffocation and internal injuries. There were no visible external injuries on their bodies.

“There seems to be no truth in the driver’s claim that he was blinded by the light from a vehicle coming from the opposite direction,” he added.

The owner-cum-driver Gopilal Rathod and labour contractor Hanmant Devlappa Rathod have been arrested. Human trafficking angle is also being looked into.

The victims were carrying around 50 bags of foodgrain for their personal use and got trapped under these bags and were suffocated to death.

The vehicle bearing registration number KA-33-A-1755 left Surpur around 9:30 pm on Friday. After a brief halt at Almatti in Bagalkot district, the vehicle proceeded towards Savantwadi.

Eyewitnesses Mounesh and Hanmant Rathod said when the vehicle was nearing Halki Cross, the driver fell asleep. By the time he was woken up, the mini truck rammed into a pillar and a milestone. The vehicle then skidded off the road before overturning and plunging into an agricultural land.

Excise Minister Satish Jarkiholi, who is also in charge of the district, visited the accident spot and announced a compensation of Rs 1 lakh each to the next of the kin of the deceased and promised them more relief. 

Along with Bhaskar Rao, Small Scale Industries, Muzrai and Sugar Minister Prakash Hukkeri, Deputy Commissioner N Jayaram and Superintendent of Police Chandragupta also visited the spot.