SANGUEM: An educational tour by Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan from Ponda could have proved costly for students and teachers as the Bal Rath in which they were travelling dashed against the roadside wall reportedly due to brake failure. The students and teachers were lucky to escape with minor injuries.
The accident occurred at Verlem Salgini while the group was returning to Sanguem after visiting Strawberry farms at Verlem in Neturlim.
The bus was carrying around 30 students and some teachers from different schools from Ponda. As they were driving down the steep slope, the driver alerted them of some technical glitch and brought the bus to a grinding halt after
dashing it against the side wall of the road. If it was not for the prudence of the driver to crash
into the side wall, there would have been a major tragedy.
Locals rushed to the site, called 108 ambulance and also shifted the injured students and teachers to the Sanguem Primary Health Centre. Health Officer Dr T Kakodkar informed that altogether 16 people were injured of which 10 were discharged after first aid while six were referred to South Goa District Hospital, Margao for further treatment as they needed to be kept under observation.
Dr Kakodkar informed that among those referred to the District Hospital, two had suspected tooth fractures and others had chest pain.
“The injuries are of simple nature but they need to be kept under observation,” said Dr Kakodkar. One of the teachers accompanying the students informed that they had gone to
Verlem to see the strawberry farms, after which they were supposed to visit the botanical garden at Selaulim Dam, which was scuttled due to the accident.
Local panchayat member Rakhi Naik, who visited the injured at the PHC, said that the organisers of such tours in the hilly areas of Sanguem, should first visit the place to understand the area since the roads are narrow with sharp curves.
“For a new driver, the road to Verlem and Salgini is very risky and hence for the safety of the visitors, it is better to study the roads first,” she said.
Neturlim villagers arranged a private bus to drop the students and teachers to Almeida High School, Ponda as the Bal Rath was not in a condition to be driven back to Ponda.
