6 Friends Killed, 4 Critical After Cruiser-Truck Collision in Karnataka’s Karwar

July 9, 2026

Karwar, Karnataka: At least six friends were killed and four others sustained critical injuries after the Cruiser vehicle they were travelling in collided head-on with a truck in the Arabail Ghat section of Yellapura taluk in Karnataka’s Karwar district on Thursday.

According to police, all ten occupants of the Cruiser were residents of Dharwad and worked as part-time delivery executives for Swiggy. They had left Dharwad on Wednesday night for a leisure trip to Dharmasthala and Chikkamagaluru when the accident occurred near Balagar.

Six Killed on the Spot

Police said the truck was travelling from Yellapura towards Ankola when it collided with the Cruiser. The impact of the crash was so severe that the passenger vehicle was completely mangled, killing six occupants on the spot.

The deceased have been identified as Basavaraj (48), Abhisheik Eshwar (28), Akshay Mallannanvar (26), Abhishek Mallesh Mudabavi (26), Sanjeeva, and Sanjaya Angadi (30).

Four Undergoing Treatment

The four injured Shivaraj Durgappa Madival, Manjunath Ashok Chulaki, Sachin, and Channabasayya Basalingaiah Sampagaon — were rescued by local residents and shifted to a nearby hospital. Police said all four are admitted to the Intensive Care Unit (ICU), and their condition remains critical.

Investigation Underway

Yellapura police reached the spot soon after the accident, shifted the bodies for post-mortem examination and informed the victims’ families. A case has been registered, and an investigation is underway to determine the exact cause of the collision.

The accident is the latest in a series of fatal road crashes reported from Karnataka in recent months, highlighting ongoing concerns over road safety on the state’s highways and ghat sections.