TEAM HERALD
MARGAO: With anxiety writ large on the faces of Our Lady of Rosary, Parish Priest, Fr Alvaro Martins and worried parents, friends and relatives of the victims rushed to the Hospicio around Thursday noon on hearing that his parishioners who had gone on a annual picnic to Agonda had met with an accident at Khola.
Earlier, Fr Martins rushed to Kohla and Canacona medical centre. At Hospicio, he had a word with a group of parents before and then went inside the casualty to personally see the condition of the injured and comfort them.
“Today was the annual picnic day of the parish. We were around 270, all heading to Agonda in six buses. The ill-fated bus had left Fatorda for Agonda a little early with youngsters as they were given the responsibility to arrange things at the beach,” Fr Martins told Herald at the Hospicio.
The parish priest was travelling in one of the buses with the parishioners following the ill-fated bus. “A number of young parishioners have been injured in the accident. My assistant parish priest too is injured. Thank God, that no one has sustained any serious injuries,” he said, while heaving a sigh of relief.
A young passenger travelling in the ill-fated bus Ashley Colaco escaped unhurt in the mishap. “I was travelling standing in the bus when the driver lost control over the vehicle at the turn. The occupants of the bus were injured after the bus turned turtle,” he said.
Fatorda MLA Vijai Sardesai, who rushed to Hospicio upon hearing the news, inquired with the hospital doctors on duty vis-a-vis the arrangements.
“I have been told that adequate stock of medicines and number of beds have been arranged to meet the emergency,” he said.
Hospicio authorities made quick arrangement for wheel chairs and stretchers as three ambulances brought the more seriously injured to Hospicio from the Canacona medical centre.
