Udupi: Five migrant workers from North India were killed on the spot and seven others sustained serious injuries after a mini goods tempo rammed into a road divider and overturned on National Highway 66 near Kotalkatte in Kaup police limits on Sunday evening.

According to the police, the tempo was carrying heavy iron materials used for wedding decoration work when the driver lost control of the vehicle while overtaking a bus. The tempo hit the divider, climbed onto it, crossed into the service road on the opposite side, and overturned. Several workers travelling in the rear portion were crushed under the heavy iron equipment, resulting in instant fatalities.

The deceased have been identified as Pappu Ravidas (28) and Harish (27) of Assam, Gapunath (50) of Tripura, and Kamal and Sumaresh of West Bengal. All of them were migrant labourers living in rented houses in Kaup.

The injured include the tempo driver Ranjith Amin (33) of Kotalkatte, Ganesh Bahadur Rai (36) of Assam, and Prabhas Rai (26), Gopal Boumik (16), Suraj Dolai (16) and Subrado (20) — all from West Bengal. They were immediately shifted by locals to private hospitals in Udupi. Doctors said some of the injured are in critical condition.

Police said a total of 12 workers were travelling in the tempo, which was heading from Kapu-Majoor towards Malpe. The impact of the accident was so severe that the tempo was completely damaged and several workers were trapped under the heavy materials.

Upon receiving information, Kapu MLA Gurme Suresh Shetty, former minister Vinay Kumar Sorake, and former MLA Lalaji R. Mendon visited the hospital to meet the injured workers.

A case has been registered at Kaup Police Station, and further investigation is underway.