Team Herald
PONDA: Two youth died on the spot when an oncoming fully-packed passenger bus, while overtaking, hit their Ford Fiesta at Kelini Usgao near police outpost, on Sunday at around 5.30 pm. A third unidentified occupant of the car was also seriously injured.
The intensity of the collision was such the car got jammed trapping the victims inside. The dead are identified as Lawrence Joseph Gonsalves (30) and Sunil Ratnakar Naik (30), both are residents of Palwada in Usgao.
Ponda Police Inspector Suraj Halarnkar, his staff and fire personnel rushed to the spot and removed the bodies of the dead from the car.
Following the accident, thousands of people gathered at spot. It is learnt that the bus was fully packed with passengers and was overtaking another vehicle when it hit the oncoming Ford Fiesta.
At the time of the accident, the Sai Kamaxi bus was proceeding towards Usgao while the Ford Fiesta was coming from the opposite direction.
Eight passengers of the bus, including one Anand Mayekar, a journalist working for daily Gomantak, suffered injuries in the accident. Mayekar reportedly suffered head injuries. While Mayekar and another woman were treated at the Primary Health Centre, Usgao, six others were taken to Goa Medical College Hospital at Bambolim.
Police arrested bus driver Rajaram Ganapat Toraskar from Sainagar Usgao for rash and negligent driving.
