Four Ayyappa devotees from Karnataka killed in SUV-lorry collision

December 18, 2015

Kasaragod, Dec 18: Four people from Karnataka were killed as the SUV they were travelling by collided with a lorry near the Kerala-Karnataka border on Thursday.

The deceased were identified as Jayanth, Bharath, Ullas and Prithviraj, all natives of Tumakuru district in Karnataka. They were part of a nine-member group returning home after a pilgrimage to the Lord Ayyappa temple at Sabarimala in Kerala, police said.

Five people injured in the accident - Abhishek, Dorai, Vijay, Balakrishnan and Sharuk - have been admitted to J S S Hospital in Mysuru. The bodies of the deceased have been shifted to Tumakuru.

Police said the car carrying the pilgrims collided with a lorry near Hobballa bridge at Mulahalli on the Karnataka side of the Kerala-Karnataka border at about 6.30 am. The lorry was carrying cement from the Mysuru direction.

“The lorry driver, Abraham, is a native of Ambalavayal in Wayanad. He has been hospitalised with minor injuries,” an officer at the Sultan Bathery police station told Deccan Herald. The front portion of the SUV was left mangled in the head-on collision.

Preliminary reports said the driver of the car may have fallen asleep at the wheel, leading to the collision. Gundlupet police have registered a case.

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Mangaluru’s public transport revolution: 100 new govt electric buses to end private ‘trip-cutting’

News Network

December 19,2025

Mangaluru: Public transport in Mangaluru is set for a state-led transformation as the government moves to deploy 100 new electric govt buses to replace unreliable private services. The initiative aims to provide a dependable alternative to private operators who have been frequently "cutting trips," leaving thousands of commuters stranded.

The announcement was made by Deputy Commissioner and MCC Administrator Darshan HV during a public phone-in session. The move specifically targets routes where private bus service has become erratic, ensuring that citizens no longer have to rely on a fluctuating private sector for their daily commute.

Restoring the Govt Presence

The transport crisis was brought to the forefront by Ramayya, a resident of Bajal, who highlighted a growing trend of private buses skipping morning and night trips. With the previous KSRTC (govt) services discontinued, residents have been left without a fallback option.

To fix this, the DC confirmed that the PM-eBus Sewa Scheme will bring 100 government-owned electric buses to the city:

• Phased Deployment: The first 50 of the new 100 government buses are scheduled to arrive by March 2026.

• State Infrastructure: Two new government depots, including one at Mudipu, are being prepared for operations.

• Recruitment: The state has already begun training a new batch of government bus drivers to ensure the fleet is operational the moment it arrives.

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