Hassan accident heart-rending: PM Modi

New Delhi, Sep 13 (PTI) Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday expressed grief over the deaths of several people during a Ganesha immersion in Karnataka, and said it was a heart-rending tragedy.

Eight persons were killed, and over 20 others injured when a truck ploughed into a Ganesha immersion procession in a village in the Hassan district on Friday night.

Among the injured, at least eight individuals are currently in critical condition.

Modi said on X, "The mishap in Hassan, Karnataka, is heart-rending. In this tragic hour, my thoughts are with the bereaved families. I hope those who have been injured recover at the earliest." He announced an ex-gratia of Rs 2 lakh from the Prime Minister's National Relief Fund to the next of kin of each deceased. The injured would be given Rs 50,000 each, he added. PTI KR SKY SKY