Daijiworld Media Network - Karkala

Karkala, July 20: A diesel spill caused by a collision between a car and a tipper truck triggered a chain-reaction crash on the Mala Ghat stretch of National Highway-169 along the Chikkamagaluru-Udupi border on Monday, July 20, leaving one car overturned and a few people with minor injuries.

Police said the initial accident occurred when a car rammed into a tipper truck, causing diesel to spill across the highway. The fuel made the road dangerously slippery, and two cars approaching from behind lost control, collided with each other and skidded off the road. One of the cars overturned in the impact.

A few occupants of the vehicles sustained minor injuries in the mishap. However, no fatalities were reported.

The accident disrupted traffic along the busy ghat stretch for some time before personnel from the Karkala Rural police station reached the spot. Police spread sand over the diesel spill to restore traction, cleared the affected stretch and regulated traffic, bringing the situation under control.

With incessant rainfall making ghat roads increasingly hazardous, police urged motorists to exercise caution while driving through the stretch. "As continuous rains can make ghat roads slippery, motorists are advised to drive carefully and keep their speed under control," police said.