Team Herald
PANJIM: Union Minister of State for AYUSH, Shripad Naik, was injured and his wife Vijaya and his personal secretary Deepak Ghume died in a horrific car crash at Ankola in Uttara Kannada on Monday evening. He was being treated at Goa Medical College and Hospital, where he was rushed late night from Ankola.
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Chief Minister Dr Pramod Sawant said that Naik was stable and out of danger. “He has been kept under observation at GMC and will undergo two minor surgeries during he night,” Sawant said. He added that there was no need to shift Naik to New Delhi or anywhere else.
Vijaya and Deepak were critical after the crash and died in the Ankola hospital, where all the accident victims were rushed in an ambulance. Their bodies were brought to Goa and kept at GMC.
As the ambulance bringing Naik was on the way to Goa, Sawant rushed towards Ankola, along with GMC Dean Dr S M Bandekar and two other doctors. They met the ambulance on the way and started treatment in the ambulance itself.
Earlier, Additional Superintendent of Police (Uttara Kannada) Vijay Kumar Torgal told Herald that the Union Minister and his two aides were injured, while the minister’s wife and another staffer died in the accident. “The accident victims are being attended to by the doctors, arrangements are done to shift them to Goa (Goa Medical College),” he added.
The officer, who was at the accident spot, said the driver of the government vehicle attempted to overtake another vehicle and this led to the accident. The injured included the driver. Until his shifting procedures were completed, the minister and the other injured persons underwent treatment at the Ankola hospital where several doctors were called on emergency duty. Naik was critical earlier, but first aid at the Ankola hospital helped stabilize him, sources said.
While more details were awaited, it was informed that they were enroute Gokarna from Yellapur when the incident took place. The Naiks had visited a temple at Yellapur and were returning to Goa.
Shocking visuals from the accident site shows the car in which the occupants were travelling in a brutally mangled state amidst bushes and trees. It is learnt that the car toppled after which it was dragged into the bushes and the trees, photos of which emerged on social media during the late hours of Monday.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi spoke to CM Sawant to ensure proper arrangements are made for the treatment of the Union minister. Defence Minister Rajnath Singh also spoke to Sawant asking him to provide the best treatment, and suggested that Naik be flown to New Delhi if needed.
Messages began to pour in from political circles condoling the death of Vijaya and wishing Shripad a speedy recovery.
