At least 12 people, including a child, were killed on Friday in a collision between a speeding truck and a maxi cab on National Highway-13, a police officer said.
"The mishap occurred near Chikkagodanahalli in a head-on collision between the truck and the maxi in which the victims were travelling," Chitradurga police superintendant M.N. Anucheth told IANS.
Chitradurga is about 200 km northwest of state capital Bengaluru.
Under the impact of the collision, the truck, laden with at least 16 tonnes of steel rods, fell on the maxi.
"We have registered a case against the driver (Rahul) and the truck owner, who both hail from Uttar Pradesh. The truck driver, who survived the mishap, was rushed to a district hospital here for treatment," Anucheth said.
The victims were returning to their village (Kondlahalli), after attending a late night event in Chikkagodanahalli.