Mangalore: Eight Killed fifteen injured in Tempo Accident at Jokatte

Mangalore, May 6: At least eight people were killed and several others sustained severe injuries when an open-pickup van fell into a gorge at Jokatte on the outskirts of the city on Sunday.

The ghastly accident occurred around 2 pm when the labourers belonging to Mangalore Special Economic Zone were being taken to worksite.

Five labourers and the driver died on spot when the ill-fated vehicle skidded off the road and rolled down, sources said. Two more labourers succumbed to their injuries at a private hospital.

The injured labourers, who have been admitted to AJ Hospital in the city, informed that the driver Krishna, a resident of Porkodi, lost control over his vehicle while negotiating a curve.

"The vehicle rolled over three times before falling into the 15-ft gorge", said one of the injured.

Sources said that all the victims were from the North Indian states of Odisha, Bihar and Uttar Pradesh. However, police have yet to ascertain their identity.

The intensity of the accident was such that the pickup has been completely damaged.

Sources said that MSEZ transporting labourer in the vehicle, which was meant for transporting goods.

Angered by the incident, the local residents at Jokatte pelted stones at another vehicle belonging to MSEZ, it is said

The MSEZ has employed around 25,000 labourers for civil and other construction work.

Sleuths attached to jurisdictional Panambur police station rushed to the spot.