The car involved in the fatal mishap on the Belagavi-Goa highway.
Two persons were killed on the spot and three others sustained serious injuries in a road accident near Gavegali Cross on the Ramanagar–Anmod Ghat stretch along the Belagavi–Goa highway in the wee hours of Thursday.
According to sources, the mishap took place at about 2 am when an Andhra Pradesh-registered Swift car was travelling from Goa towards Karnataka, while a tempo from Quepem which was carrying broiler chickens from Karnataka to Goa was heading in the opposite direction.
Police said the driver of the Swift car attempted to overtake another vehicle and moved to the wrong side of the road, resulting in a head-on collision with the Bolero pickup.
Murali and Mahesh, both residents of Anandpur in Andhra Pradesh and travelling in the front seats of the Swift car, died on the spot. Three others — Shaikh Vali, who was seated in the rear of the Swift car, and Kalappa Madar along with his wife Drakshayani Madar, originally from Vijayapura and currently residing in Goa — sustained serious injuries.
They were first shifted to the government hospital at Ramanagar in a 108 ambulance and later referred to the Civil Hospital in Belagavi for advanced treatment.
The impact of the collision was heard from a considerable distance. Both vehicles suffered extensive damage and chickens from the tempo were scattered across the highway.
Following the accident, local residents and travellers rushed to the spot and assisted in rescue efforts. Traffic on the highway was disrupted for some time before police restored movement.
Locals have raised concerns over the increasing number of accidents on the ghat section due to continuous rainfall, dangerous curves and over speeding.
A case has been registered at the Joida Police Station and further investigation is underway.
