BUS TURNS TURTLE INJURING 30 PASSENGERS

MAPUSA: 30 persons, including people from Assagao and students of DMC college were injured, some of them seriously when a passenger bus bearing registration number GA01-V2870, ‘Sai Chandan’ plying on the Badem-Assagao-Mapusa route turned turtle and fell on its side about 25 feet below the road on a turn near the DMC college on Thursday evening.

According to the Mapusa police, the bus had left Badem at 3.30 p.m. for Mapusa with a substitute driver as the usual driver was not on duty.

Around 40 passengers were in the bus when it had reached near the DMC College. As it came down the slope, the driver who was new while applying brakes lost control of the bus on the sharp turn and the bus after dashing against the embankment built by the Mapusa municipality fell into a low lying area that is about 25 feet below the road.  The impact of the accident was so much that on hearing the loud noise locals who live close by came rushing to see what had happened.

People passing along the road also stopped to help the victims. This resulted in a long traffic jam. Trapped persons especially college students were seen shouting for help as people were trying to help them and others who were injured.  Mapusa police led by PI Rajeshkumar, traffic police, RTO and fire brigade personnel rushed to the site and the injured were rushed to the Asilo.

The bus was completely damaged. The driver managed to escape with minor injuries.  Among the injured are Sahil Uday Naik (45), Seema Naik (41), Shaila Naik (46) from Assagao, Reema Pilgaonkar (18), a student of DMC college, Divya Anvekar (18), Kalpesh Kolmetkar, DMC students, Shilpa Kamat (54) from Assagao, Tukaram Deulkar (50), Suresh Gawas (22) , Vasudev Gawde (17), Ravindra Sirsat (83), Gauri Pole (45), Krishna Sawant (17), Deepesh Parab (20), Hemangi Parsekar (17), Ayub Ahmed (17), Santesh Dharma Naik (17), Jaffer Ahmed (17), Mahadevi Madivaler (40), Priya Gawas, Prajyoti Naik, Sonali Naik, students, Pramila Virnodkar (33) a local , Tejas Sawant, Deepesh Parab, all students, are some of the injured.

While some were rushed to the GMC from Asilo, others were rushed to a private hospital in Mapusa. The police have registered a case against the driver of the bus. Further investigations are in progress.(NT)