TEAM HERALD

ALDONA: Parishioners of Calvim and Aldona on Tuesday remembered the six persons, including four schoolgirls, who died in the tragic mishap when a bus went off the ferry wharf at Carona-Aldona three years ago.

Though the bus tragedy took place on February 18, 2012, services to mark the third death anniversary were advanced in the St Sebastian Church, Calvim, on Tuesday at 8 am, on account of Ash Wednesday in the parish.

It may be recalled that a routine bus journey had ended in major tragedy when six persons, including four school children, died after the minibus plunged into river Mandovi at Carona ferry wharf in Aldona on February 18, 2012. 

The mishap had taken place when the minibus was proceeding towards the Carona ferry ramp as the students were to take the Carona-Calvim ferry service. Those who died in the mishap were Diana Dias (4), her sister Elvina (13), Josephina Dias (58) and Nagle Gracias (10), all from Calvim, Dayanand Hoble (55) of Mayem and Priyal Salgaonkar (10) of Nachinola.

The packed congregation in the Calvim church included relatives of the four deceased parishioners, the principal, headmistress and a group of students from St Thomas Girl’s School (Aldona), Aldona MLA Glenn Ticlo and three Aldona Panchayat members, Ursula D’Souza, Freddy Pontes and Thomas Tavares.

During his eloquent homily, Calvim Parish Priest Fr Anand Pais recalled the painful memories of the 2012 bus tragedy and said that Calvim Island was given a bridge linking Carona (Aldona) only after the tragedy and the loss of six persons.

At the end of the Mass, Nagle’s aunt spoke on behalf of the deceased persons and thanked the congregation for participating in the third death anniversary services and for assisting them during the past three years.

The parishioners later went to the cemetery and blessed the four graves, as part of the prayer services. The remains of the four departed persons, which have been exhumed, will be put into niches in the parish cemetery.

Pontes, who was closely associated with search and recovery operations during the bus tragedy in 2012, said the residents of Aldona are still awaiting justice for the six lives that were lost in the mishap. “A number of people called me on Tuesday night and had assumed that the church services would be conducted on Wednesday, which marked the third death anniversary. Many were disappointed to learn that the third death anniversary services were already conducted.”