Peenya Dasarahalli: Five youths, including two students, were killed after a speeding car hit a road divider and crashed into an oncoming Karnataka State Road Transport Corporation (KSRTC) bus near Jindal, close to Madanayakanahalli, late Saturday night.

The deceased have been identified as Durgaprasad (20), Keshav Gowda (19), Lalith (22), Harshith (19) and Dhanush (17), all natives of Doddaballapur. The accident occurred around 12.30 am on the flyover in front of Jindal.

According to police, the group was travelling from Doddaballapur towards Bengaluru in a car driven by Keshav Gowda. The car was reportedly moving at high speed. Near the Jindal flyover, the driver lost control and hit the road divider. The vehicle then jumped nearly 20 feet and collided with a KSRTC bus that was travelling from Bengaluru towards Tumakuru.

Four of the youths died on the spot. The fifth was taken to a nearby hospital, where doctors declared him dead.

The impact completely crushed the car. The front portion of the bus was also damaged. The bodies have been shifted to Nelamangala Government Hospital for post-mortem examination. Police said the bodies will be handed over to the families after the procedures.

The KSRTC bus driver, conductor and four to five passengers sustained minor injuries. There were 43 passengers on the bus. None suffered serious injuries. After the accident, passengers were sent to Hubballi in another bus arranged by the corporation.

Students among the deceased

Harshith was a second-year B.Com student at a private college in Rajanukunte. Dhanush was studying in second-year PUC. The other three had discontinued their studies. 

He said he would return in 10 minutes, but came back as a body”: Prasad’s mother

Manjula, the mother of Durgaprasad, who lost her only son, said he had completed PUC and was working. “He said he would return in 10 minutes, but he came back as a dead body. What should we do when we have only one child?” she cried.

Durgaprasad’s father, Gururaj, appealed that no children should act in such a manner.

He bought sweets for the family at night: Dhanush’s father

Dhanush’s father said that his son had come home at night and took his mother and younger brother to a bakery and bought them sweets. He then said he would return in 10 minutes and left.

“When I received the phone call, I asked if my son had a tattoo of Puneeth Rajkumar on his hand. When they said yes, it felt like a thunderbolt had struck me,” he said in tears. He added that his son was only 17 years old.

He said he was going to the temple but went to a world from which he won’t return: Lalith’s mother

Lalith had completed his B.Com and was working in CCTV repair. He had only said that he was going to the temple and would return. After that, the news of his death came.

Lalith’s mother said he was the elder of her two children and broke down in tears. Police said Lalith had recently purchased a second-hand Tata Indica car and had gone out at night with his friends.