As many as 13 people, including two children died and four others were injured after the van they were travelling in allegedly collided with a lorry at Gundenahalli cross in Byadagi Taluk early on Friday, police said.

The deceased children, both boys were aged four and six, they said.

According to police, the accident occurred around 3.45 am when the van collided with a lorry which was parked on the side of National Highway 48 in Byadagi in Haveri district.

A total of 17 persons were travelling in the van. Of them, eleven people died on the spot while two others were declared dead at a hospital, a senior police official said.

Among the four injured, two are admitted in the ICU of the hospital, he said.

"The victims were coming from Chincholi Mayamma Devasthana and heading to their native Yemehatti village in Shivamogga district. The lorry was standing on the side of the highway. The van hit the lorry from behind," Anshu Kumar Srivastava, Superintendent of Police (Haveri) told PTI.

The bodies have been shifted to the mortuary and the injured have been admitted to Haveri Government Hospital, he said.

Police suspected that the driver dozed off resulting in the accident.

Because of the impact of the collision, the bodies were stuck in the mangled remains of the van and the fire brigade and police personnel had a difficult time in extricating them, police said.

The deceased have been identified as Nagesh, Vishalakshi, Adarsh, Arpita, Parashuram, Bhagya, Punya, Manasa, Roopa, Subhadra Bai, Manjula Bai and Manjula, police said.

The identity of one of the victims ceased is yet to be ascertained, police said.

Police further said Nagesh (50), Vishalakshi (40), Adarsh (23) and Arpita (18) were from the same family.

It is also learnt that Nagesh was behind the wheel.

"Nagesh had purchased a new van (tempo traveller) and had decided to pay his obeisance with his parents and relatives to Tulja Bhavani in Maharashtra, Renuka Yallamma in Savadatti and Mariyamma in Chincholi in Belagavi," family sources said.

A case is being registered in connection with the incident, police said, adding further investigation is underway.

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