Puttur: Five people sustained injuries after a car and a tanker collided head-on on the Mangaluru-Bengaluru National Highway (NH 75) at Barchinahalla near Gundya on Sunday afternoon, triggering massive traffic congestion on the busy highway.
The injured, all residents of Sakleshpur, have been identified as Sanjay (34), Lalitha (45), Monappa (56), Prema (34) and Suresh (39). They were initially provided emergency assistance before being shifted to Ashwini Hospital in Nellyadi, where they are undergoing treatment as inpatients.
Head-on collision near Barchinahalla
According to sources, the accident occurred when the car was travelling from Nelyadi towards Sakleshpur. As the vehicle reached Barchinahalla near Gundya, it reportedly collided head-on with a tanker coming from the opposite direction.
The impact of the collision left all five occupants of the car injured. Local residents and passers-by rushed to the spot and assisted in rescuing the injured before they were shifted to the hospital for treatment.
The condition of the injured persons is reported to be stable, though they continue to receive medical attention.
Long weekend traffic worsens congestion
The accident took place amid a massive surge in vehicular movement on NH 75 due to the long weekend. A large number of pilgrims travelling to the famous pilgrimage centres of Dharmasthala and Kukke Subrahmanya had already led to heavy traffic in the Gundya region.
The collision occurred in the middle of the highway, severely disrupting traffic movement and causing long queues of vehicles on both sides of the road. The congestion persisted from the afternoon until the evening, with motorists experiencing significant delays.
Several vehicles were seen lined up for kilometres as traffic moved at a snail’s pace. Commuters travelling towards Mangaluru, Bengaluru and nearby destinations were forced to wait for extended periods before the road could be partially cleared.
Police restore traffic movement
Personnel from the Nelyadi police outpost rushed to the accident site soon after receiving information about the incident. Police officials, along with local volunteers, worked to remove the damaged vehicles and regulate traffic movement on the busy highway.
After several hours of efforts, traffic flow gradually returned to normal. The police also managed the movement of vehicles to prevent further bottlenecks on the stretch.
The incident once again highlighted the traffic challenges on NH 75 during weekends and festival periods, particularly when the number of pilgrims travelling to Dharmasthala and Kukke Subrahmanya increases significantly.
Police have registered a case and are expected to conduct further investigations to ascertain the exact cause of the accident.