Six people travelling in an SUV were killed in a grisly head-on collision between their vehicle and a government bus on Monday, police said.
The accident occurred in Kemmale Gate near Sathanur town in the district, according to the police.
The victims were said to be pilgrims from Chandapura in Bengaluru who were returning after paying obeisance at Male Mahadeshwara temple in Chamarajanagar.
Of the six victims, five have been identified as Nagesh, Puttaraju, Jothirlingappa (car owner), Govinda and Kumar. The accident left the car in a mangled state.
The bus driver too received severe injuries and has been hospitalised. Several others in the bus also sustained minor injuries.
Police brought out the bodies from the badly damaged vehicle.