In a tragic accident near Nippani town in Belagavi district, four people lost their lives and four others were injured when a container lorry, reportedly experiencing brake failure, collided with multiple vehicles on the Pune-Bengaluru National Highway on Sunday evening, according to police.
Belagavi Superintendent of Police Bhimashankar Guled stated that the victims included Santosh Ganapati Mane (45) from Khadakalat and Jabin Mohammad Hussen Makandar (58) from Nippani, who were pronounced dead at the scene. Two additional victims, Rekha Sanju Gadivaddar (35) from Khadakalat and Dildaar Aadhilshaha Tajuddin Mulla (52) from Pattankadolli, succumbed to their injuries at a private hospital in Kolhapur, Maharashtra, on Monday.
The injured individuals, identified as Manjunath Dattatreya Tendulkar (57), Parvin Dildaar Mulla (52), Saniya Niyajahmed Mulla (20), and Nusegara Ayaj Shaikh (8), all from Pattankudi, were taken to nearby hospitals for treatment.
SP Guled explained that the Tamil Nadu-registered lorry, which was en route to Kolhapur, experienced a severe mechanical failure. “The vehicle lost control and crashed into several vehicles, including seven cars and five two-wheelers, before eventually coming to a stop by falling onto a car,” he said. The accident occurred near Hotel Amar, close to the Sthavanidhi Jain pilgrimage site, a known accident-prone area.
The busy highway was blocked for approximately one and a half hours before Nippani police, assisted by national highway staff, were able to clear the scene.
