Bengaluru: As many as 13 persons died on the spot and five others sustained serious injuries after an over speeding car hit an SUV moving on the opposite direction on Bengaluru-Mangaluru national highway, at a place called Byaladakere near Kunigal, on Friday morning.

Three persons travelling in the car and 10 passengers in the SUV died in the accident. Of the 13 deceased, 10 hailed from Krishnagiri in Tamil Nadu. The other three victims (all men) hailed from Bengaluru and were on way to Dharmasthala.

As per sources, the dead included four women, two children, including one toddler and the drivers of both the vehicles. The identities of the deceased has not been ascertained.

“The accident occurred when a compact SUV with four passengers crashed into another SUV after hitting and jumping the road divider and toppling near Kunigal around 1 am,” Tumakuru Superintendent of Police Vamsi Krishna told IANS on phone.

“They were on way to Bengaluru from Dharmasthla pilgrim town in the state’s southwest Dakshina Kannada district, Krishna said.

Injured passengers have been rushed to various hospitals in Bengaluru. Among them, condition of two passengers is said to be critical. 

“Three persons, belonging to the two families from Krishnagiri, were injured. They were rushed to state-run hospital at Nelamangala between Tumakuru and Bengaluru for treatment,” Krishna said.

The traffic on the Bengaluru-Mangaluru highway was blocked for over two hours due to the accident. Local police cleared the road for the traffic movement later.

 A case of negligent driving causing death was registered against the owner of the compact SUV.