5 killed in road accident in southern India

At least five people were killed and one more injured when their car collided head-on with a speeding truck in the southern Indian state of Karnataka Saturday, a senior police official said.

"The accident happened near Sastapura village in the state's Bidar district early this morning when the victims were travelling to the neighboring state of Andhra Pradesh's capital Hyderabad from Mumbai in a car," he said, on condition of anonymity.

Eye-witnesses told cops that both the vehicles were travelling at a high speed and the collision happened after the truck driver lost control of the vehicle while overtaking another car.

While five people, including four persons of the same family, died on the spot, a two-year-old child has been admitted to a local hospital where his condition is said to be serious, the official said.

Senior district officials rushed to the spot and a probe has been ordered into the incident, he said, adding that a manhunt has also been launched to nab the truck driver who fled the spot after the accident, leaving the vehicle behind.

Road accidents are common in India, often due to drunk driving or poorly maintained roads. More than 140,000 people die in road accidents in India every year, according to official statistics. Endit