Nine people have now died after a lorry ploughed into a Lord Ganesha procession in a village in the Hassan district of Karnataka. Police sources confirmed on Saturday that the death toll had risen from eight to nine after another injured person passed away.
The tragedy occurred on Friday night in Mosale Hosahalli village, within the Arakalagudu Taluk, as young people were taking part in the Ganesha procession. According to police, a motorcyclist suddenly cut in front of the lorry.
The driver reportedly swerved to avoid hitting the motorcyclist, lost control, and drove into the crowd. Four people were killed instantly, with another four dying in hospital later that night. At least eight others remain in a critical condition.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed his grief, describing the incident as a "heart-rending tragedy". In a statement on X (formerly Twitter), he wrote: "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 announced a compensation of ₹2 lakh from the Prime Minister's National Relief Fund for the next of kin of each person who died, and ₹50,000 for each of the injured.
Speaking at Mysuru airport, he clarified that the compensation was a gesture of condolence and not an attempt to equate a financial amount with the value of a human life. "The government giving compensation to the families of the deceased does not mean it is equal to the value of life," he said to the media.
Referring to the accident, he added: “We have formulated the Road Safety Act. If an accident happens due to the mistake of truck drivers, how can the government be held accountable? I offer my respect to those killed in the accident." Siddaramaiah also confirmed he had asked District In-charge Minister Krishna Byre Gowda to visit the victims' families and officially announce the compensation.
Also read: Lorry mows down Ganesha immersion procession in Hassan, 8 dead
Follow us
