Truck electrocuted, 5 die

HASSAN: Five persons, including a truck driver, were killed on the spot and 15 others were injured — four of them seriously — when the truck they were travelling in came in contact with a live electric wire near Nagatihalli village of Arsikere taluk late on Friday night.The deceased have been identified as Mahamod Rasool Sab, 40, a truck driver hailing from Rajasthan, Gowramma, 65, Santosh, 20, Kumar, 30, and Nandish, 31 - hailing from different villages of Hassan and Holenarasipur taluks.The deceased and the injured were travelling inside and top of the potato laden truck when the accident occurred.Police informed that the accident occurred when the labourers were returning to Hassan.All the five bodies were gutted.The injured have been admitted to the government hospital in Hassan and are out of danger.Superintendent of Police Amit Singh, Arsikere legislator K M Shivalingegowda and DySP Rashmi visited the spot on Friday.Meanwhile, over 100 labourers staged a dharna in front of the deputy commissioner’s office demanding compensation to the families of the deceased on Saturday.They demanded stringent action against the CESCOM officials for fixing the live wire across the road.Meanwhile, three of a family were killed on the spot and four others were injured when a speeding lorry hit a car near Kalkere on Hassan- Chikmagalur Road on Saturday evening.The deceased have been identified as Firize, 35, Prakrudhin, 30, and Rubina, 19, all hailing from Chikmagalur.DySP Channabasappa informed that the accident occurred when the lorry driver, who was in an inebriated condition, lost control over his vehicle while negotiating a curve and collided with the car coming from opposite.The injured have been admitted to a private hospital in Hassan.The lorry driver has been arrested.