7 pilgrims die, 20 hurt as bus rams truck

BENGALURU: Seven persons, including five women, died and 20 were injured when the private bus they were travelling in rammed a truck parked on the highway near Sira, Tumakuru, around Sunday midnight.
The deceased - Ashok Kumar, 50, of Sira town, Savita, 20, Anusha, 7, Ratnamma, 38, Shankar, 35, Sumalatha alias Suma, 25, and Girijamma, residents of Pattadanayakanahalli - were returning after pilgrimage.
The 40-member group had been to Sigandur Chowdeshwari temple in Sagar, Shivamogga. "We started from Sira on Saturday evening and reached the temple by midnight. We started return journey on Sunday evening. The bus reached the highway near Davanagere at 12.30am," Tippeswamy, one of the injured, said.
Bus driver Manjunath fled the spot.