Vijayanagara: At least four people are feared dead and several others were injured following a major chain-reaction accident on National Highway 50 near Danapur in the Hospet taluk of Vijayanagara district on Sunday morning, April 19, 2026. The collision involved a bus, a car, multiple two-wheelers, and a speeding lorry laden with garlic, which reportedly initiated the pile-up.
According to preliminary police reports, the accident began as a minor collision but quickly escalated when the speeding lorry, traveling toward Chitradurga, rammed into a motorcycle. The impact caused the driver to lose control, subsequently crashing into a private bus and a car before the heavy vehicle overturned. The lorry toppled directly onto the car, dragging the vehicle for nearly 100 metres. Police sources stated that the four occupants of the car are feared to have died instantly upon impact.
Rescue and Traffic Status:
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Casualties: Four confirmed fatalities suspected in the car; multiple others injured, with several in serious condition.
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Medical Response: The injured have been shifted to government hospitals in Hospet and Koppal for emergency treatment.
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Emergency Operations: Specialized teams and local residents worked to clear the garlic-laden wreckage and retrieve those trapped inside the mangled car.
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Traffic Impact: Vehicular movement on NH 50 remained paralyzed for several hours, with traffic stretching for several kilometres.
The lorry, which bore a Haryana registration, was allegedly being driven in a rash and negligent manner. Authorities have initiated a formal inquiry into the driver’s conduct and the mechanical state of the vehicle. This tragedy follows another horrific accident in the state just two days ago, where nine members of a family were killed after their car collided with a bus in Surpur taluk.