Two Pune Women Killed as Lorry Rams Car at Arbail Ghat in Yellapura

A fatal road accident on National Highway 52 in the Arbail Ghat section of Yellapura taluk claimed the lives of two women tourists from Pune, Maharashtra, on Sunday evening, September 6, 2026. The deceased were identified as 59-year-old Sharmila Rajan Kulthe and her 32-year-old daughter Mrunmai Rajan Kulthe, both residents of Hadapsar in Pune. The driver of their hired vehicle, 55-year-old Alibasha Sheikh from Hosapete, sustained injuries in the collision. According to police officials, the travellers had visited tourist destinations in Badami after leaving Hosapete and were proceeding towards Gokarna. Between 7:00 PM and 7:30 PM, as their car navigated the winding stretch of Arbail Ghat, a speeding lorry travelling from Yellapura towards Ankola struck their vehicle from behind. The severe impact pushed the car forward, sandwiching it against another lorry moving ahead. Local residents and emergency workers rushed to the scene to rescue the occupants from the mangled car. All three injured were immediately taken to the Yellapura Government Hospital. However, attending doctors pronounced both women dead on arrival. The driver is undergoing medical treatment. Yellapura police have registered a case regarding reckless driving and death by negligence, and further investigation into the crash is underway.