Team Herald
PONDA: In a fifth major accident on the newly constructed flyover on the Farmagudi-Dhavlim four-lane road on National Highway, a crane proceeding towards Dhavlim from Farmagudi lost control near Venkteshila Hotel and fell from a height of 7-metres on the service road below the flyover.
The driver of the crane Pappu Yadav (23), originally from Bihar, died on the spot while the cleaner Arjun Yadav (19) who jumped off from the crane was seriously injured and taken to Goa Medical College and Hospital at Bambolim. The incident took place at around 10 am on Wednesday.
The driver who was trapped in the crane was rescued by fire personnel and taken to the Ponda Sub-District Hospital, where he was declared brought dead.
The four-lane road has a sharp turn of 90 degree angle.
Umesh Naik and other locals criticised the National Highway authorities for the faulty design, stating that nowhere a flyover, with a 90 degree sharp turn and several speed breakers, has been constructed.
Earlier, four trucks had collapsed on their side on the same flyover. However, all drivers escaped with injuries, while the vehicles suffered major damage. But this time, the crane driver while negotiating the steep slope lost control over the vehicle, then hit the road divider, and fell off from the flyover on the service road below.
Following the crane accident, Ponda MLA Ravi Naik demanded an inquiry into the construction of the flyover. He said that due to the faulty design of the flyover, a precious life was lost.
Goa Crane Owners Association, President Prasad Kamat said that since five accidents have occurred on the flyover, “there is no doubt that the fault lies in the design of the flyover.”
He appealed to the government to improve the structure to avoid accidents.
The February 12 edition of Herald had published a report highlighting that the flyover is a harbinger of death. Since then, Wednesday’s accident is the fifth major one. The first accident on this flyover took place on March 13, the second on March 30, the third on May 7 and the fourth on August 12.
