The incident occurred at 1.45 pm. The bus ‘Sai Dham’ was proceeding to Shigao-Mollem from Ponda bus stand, when it stopped at Kerya to let off passengers. A container truck that was speeding towards Khandepar, while negotiating a sharp turn, rammed into the back of the bus.
The impact forced the bus fifteen metres away from where it had stopped, while the truck, minus the container, fell onto its side. Locals and motorists rushed to the bus and helped most of the passengers out. Ponda fire personnel had to free three seriously-injured passengers with metal cutters.
The 30 injured passengers, including college students, were shifted by 108 ambulances and police vehicles to Ponda Sub District Hospital. However, doctors were not immediately available. Relatives of the passengers, who had rushed to the hospital, were agitated over the same. They stated that hospital often faced a shortage of doctors, due to which accident victims had to suffer even more.
Ponda MLA Lavoo Mamledar soon arrived to pacify them, while medical officer Pradeep Shirvoikar and other doctors treated the injured. South Goa MP Adv Narendra Sawaikar also met the injured at the hospital.
Many passengers were in shock. PES College student Shelke, who received a head injury, said he was on the last seat of the bus during the incident that left him unconscious.
Locals Viraj Spare and Sanjay Satarkar stated that before the accident, the truck driver was attempting to overtake the parked bus when he realized that he would hit an oncoming truck. He decided not to overtake, but ended up colliding into the bus.
They opined that the RTO should at least widen the road and install signboards at that turn since it is an accident-prone zone. Truck drivers from outside Goa often drive in a rash and negligent manner, due to which several fatal accidents have taken place.
Ponda Dy SP Sunita Sawant assured to write to the authorities to make the accident-prone zone at Kerya-Khandepar safe.
The seriously injured are: Srey Datta Devidas (19), Irish D’Souza (52), Mamta Gaonkar (40), Raj Mulla(16) Vasant Gaonkar, Sujata Gaonkar (21), Ranjana Zalmin (40) Swetan Thakoor (40), Suhas Naik (40), Yashoda Hegde (54), Karan Rajput (16), Prateeksha Desai (23), Jayanti Naik (32) Asha Naik (34), Sudeer Surlakar(34) and Swapna Zalmi (30)
