Bengaluru (PTI): The driver of the truck involved in the accident in Nelamangala which killed six people, claimed on Monday that there was a car ahead of his vehicle and to prevent collision, he turned the steering wheel towards the road divider which led to the accident.

Police, however, refused to share details about the investigation, claiming it will hamper their probe.

According to police, a Deputy Superintendent of Police rank officer is investigating the case and said a detailed investigation is being carried out to ascertain the cause of the accident. The CCTV cameras installed in and around the area of the accident site are also being verified as part of the probe.

"A DYSP rank officer is investigating the case. We are also doing a case study, keeping in mind the road safety aspects as well. At this stage, we do not want to reveal any details which would further hamper the probe," a senior police officer said.

Speaking to reporters, the Jharkhand-based truck driver, Arif, who was hospitalised with injuries sustained during the accident, claimed that there was a car ahead of his truck, and that he was going at 40 kmph.

"The car driver applied sudden brakes and I lost control of my vehicle. To save the car, I turned the steering wheels towards the road divider on the right. But then I saw another car, and took a left again. Due to this, the container which was loaded with steel fell," he added.

The truck driver was unaware that a SUV car got crushed beneath his vehicle and that it led to the death of six of the family, police said.

The accident occurred at Nelamangala near Talekere on the Bengaluru outskirts last Saturday. The family was on the way to Vijayapura.

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Barcelona (AP): Real Madrid slapped players Federico Valverde and Aurélien Tchouaméni with half-a-million-euro ($588,000) fines on Friday for their altercation during practice.

The massive fines came a day after the midfielders tussled when the team trained. Valverde said in a post on social media on Thursday that no punches were thrown. But Valverde knocked his head on a table and he suffered a small cut that required a brief hospital visit.

On social media, Valverde initially called it a “meaningless fight” with a teammate and said “everything has been blown out of proportion."

His employers, however, considered it a significant enough breach of team discipline to nail both Valverde and Tchouaméni with fines that bite even the bank account of a top soccer player. The half-a-million euro penalties reflect the reputational damage the club was enduring in a chaotic end to a disappointing season.

In a statement, the 15-time European champion said its disciplinary action was concluded after both players expressed to the club “their complete remorse for what happened and apologized to one another.”

Madrid added they also apologized to their teammates, the coaching staff and club supporters, as well as showing their willingness to accept whatever disciplinary action the club deemed “opportune.”

Tchouaméni was back training with Madrid on Friday, two days before they play at Barcelona in a clasico. Madrid has to win otherwise Barcelona will be crowned La Liga champion.

After being notified of the fine, he posted a public apology to the club and its fans on social media.

“What happened this week in training is unacceptable,” Tchouaméni wrote. "I say this while thinking about the example we are expected to set for young people, whether in football or at school.

“Above all, I am sorry for the image we projected of the club.”

Valverde was not at practice due to the head knock.

Both players are set to play in the World Cup next month, with Tchouaméni playing for France and Valverde for Uruguay. 

Chaotic end to a poor season

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The run-in between the players, who for seasons have played side by side in Madrid's midfield, came after they argued this week in previous training sessions. But tempers boiled over on Thursday. Spanish media was rife with reports that the players previously disagreed over the club's decision to let coach Xabi Alonso go after just months on the job.

It was not the only altercation involving Madrid players during training this week. Álvaro Carreras confirmed he was in a “minor” incident with a teammate. Spanish media said he and fellow defender Antonio Rüdiger got into a scuffle.

Álvaro Arbeloa, the coach who was promoted from Madrid's reserve team when Alonso was fired in January, will face tough questions on what went wrong inside the changing room when he gives a press conference on Saturday ahead of the clasico at Camp Nou.

Madrid is facing a second consecutive campaign without a major trophy amid rumors in the Spanish media that club president Florentino Pérez is considering bringing back Jose Mourinho to straighten out his underperforming team.