Nine persons were killed and 22 injured on Friday when a speeding truck rammed into a procession heading to immerse an idol of Hindu deity Ganesha, on the Hassan-Holenarasipura highway in Karnataka’s Hassan district, The News Minute reported.

The truck reportedly lost control while trying to avoid a two-wheeler, crossed the road divider and crashed into the crowd participating in the procession, according to The Indian Express.

The incident took place in the Mosale Hosahalli village.

Five persons, identified as students of a local engineering college, died on the spot. Four others succumbed to injuries at a nearby hospital, the newspaper reported.

Among the nine persons who died, eight were between the age of 17 and 25. One was a 55-year-old man.

Seven of those killed were from Hassan district and one each from Ballari and Chitradurga, the police said.

The post-mortems completed and the bodies have been handed to the families, officials said.

Of the 22 persons who were injured, 19 were admitted to the Hassan Institute of Medical Sciences, where two remain in the intensive care unit and one is undergoing surgery for a rib fracture. The remaining are in stable condition.

Two more injured persons are being treated in the intensive care unit at Mangala Hospital and are also reported to be in stable condition, The News Minute reported.

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