A cargo truck which was coming here from Hosur lost control after one of its tyres burst. The truck then hit the median, swerved and collided head-on with a private bus on the opposite lane which was heading towards Hosur from here. In the impact, the bus fell partially on the car on one side.
"Totally, 17 persons were killed including a girl child," Gurbarapalli Police Inspector G Srinivasan said.
Condoling the mishap, Chief Minister Jayalalithaa announced a solatium of Rs 1 lakh to each of the dead victims' kin and Rs.50,000 assistance to the grievously injured from the Chief Minister Relief Fund. "I was deeply grieved by the death of 17 persons," she said.
"Krishnagiri District Collector and Police Superintendent are on the spot undertaking relief work," Jayalalithaa said in a statement.