Last Selfie Before Fatal Crash: Seven Dharwad Friends Killed During Pilgrimage in Uttara Kannada

Seven friends from Dharwad were killed in a tragic road accident at Arabail Ghat in Uttara Kannada while on a pilgrimage to Gokarna, Murudeshwar, Dharmasthala. A selfie taken after offering prayers at a Ganapati temple has become their final memory.

Image Credit : Asianet News

Seven Killed in Head-On Collision at Arabail Ghat

Seven people from Dharwad were killed and two others sustained serious injuries in a horrific road accident at Arabail Ghat in Yellapur taluk of Uttara Kannada district on Thursday morning.

The accident occurred when a cruiser vehicle carrying tourists collided head-on with a lorry. The impact of the collision was so severe that seven passengers died on the spot, while two others sustained critical injuries. They have been admitted to a nearby hospital for treatment.

According to preliminary information, all the deceased were residents of Dharwad and were on a pilgrimage to Gokarna, Murudeshwar and Dharmasthala when the accident occurred.

Police reached the spot soon after the incident and have launched an investigation to ascertain the exact cause of the accident.

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Friends on Pilgrimage Meet With Tragic Accident

All those who lost their lives were friends from Dharwad who worked as delivery executives. They had taken a break from the demands of their daily work and embarked on a pilgrimage to visit the temples of Gokarna, Murudeshwar and Dharmasthala.

The group of nine friends was travelling from Dharwad towards the coast via Ankola when tragedy struck. At a sharp bend in the Arabail Ghat section of Yellapur taluk, their cruiser vehicle collided head-on with a lorry coming from the opposite direction.

The impact of the collision was severe, claiming the lives of seven members of the group. The remaining two sustained serious injuries and were admitted to a nearby hospital, where they are undergoing treatment.

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Friends' Final Selfie Before the Tragic Journey

Before setting out on their pilgrimage, the group of friends visited the Ganapati Temple near the famous KCD Circle in Dharwad to seek blessings for a safe journey. 

After offering prayers, they gathered outside the temple and took a selfie together, unaware that it would become their final photograph.

Just a few hours later, tragedy struck when their cruiser vehicle was involved in a fatal head-on collision with a lorry at Arabail Ghat in Uttara Kannada district. 

The selfie, captured shortly before the journey turned tragic, has become a poignant reminder of the lives lost and the devastating loss suffered by their families and loved ones.

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Victims Identified, Two Others in Critical Condition

The impact of the collision was so severe that the cruiser vehicle was completely crushed. Six people died on the spot, while another victim succumbed to injuries during treatment at KIMS Hospital.

The deceased have been identified as:

• Basavaraj (48) 
• Abhishek Eshwar (28) 
• Akshaya (26) 
• Abhishek (26) 
• Sanjeeva (Sanjay) Angadi (33), the cruiser driver 
• Manjunath Chulaki (32) 
• Sachin Hebballi (26), who succumbed to his injuries at KIMS Hospital

Two others sustained serious injuries in the accident and are undergoing treatment. 

They have been identified as:

• Shivaraj Durgappa Madiwal (22) 
• Chennabasayya Basalingaiah Sampagawa (28)

Both are undergoing emergency treatment, and their condition remains critical.

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Police Launch Investigation After Fatal Crash

As soon as the accident was reported, officers and personnel from Yellapur Police Station rushed to the scene and launched rescue operations. With the assistance of local residents, they rescued the injured and recovered the bodies of those trapped inside the mangled cruiser vehicle.

The injured were shifted to a nearby hospital, where they are undergoing treatment. Police have registered a case at Yellapur Police Station and launched a detailed investigation to ascertain the exact cause of the accident.

News of the tragedy has left the families, relatives and friends of the deceased in Dharwad devastated, with many struggling to come to terms with the sudden loss of their loved ones.