MARGAO
In a major road accident involving a Bal Rath bus, bringing to the fore the upkeep and maintenance of vehicles transporting school children, a Bal Rath bus ferrying students to the Cuncolim United High school turned turtle on the NH-66 at Balli, just meters away from the Primary Health centre on Thursday morning, leaving several students injured.
The accident, which was captured on CCTV camera, shows that the ill-fated bus suddenly swerving off the road on the Highway while it was proceeding to Cuncolim from Balli, before turning turtle. The bus driver has claimed that bus swerved off the road after the steering got locked when the bus was in motion.
As the packed bus plunged into the road side trench, right near the Primary Healh Centre, Balli, the injured children were immediately rushed to the health centre by local residents as well as by the bus driver. Doctors at the Balli PHC informed that around 34 of the injured were brought to the health centre, of which around 25 students were later shifted to the South Goa district Hospital, Margao for further treatment.
Cuncolim Police station in-charge, PI Diogo Gracias said reports obtained from the district hospital revealed that around 22 children were brought to the hospital, out of which four are undergoing treatment at the hospital, while the others were all discharged after administration of first aid and treatment.
Sources said the Bal Rath bus as usual had collected children from the remote villages of Barcem, Paddi, Bendulem and Hodden before heading to the Cuncolim based school early Thursday morning when the bus suddenly swerved off the road and plunged into the road side trench before turning turtle.
Doctors at the Balli PHC informed that the Centre’s disaster cell was immediately activated to deal with the emergency situation as the injured students were brought to the health centre. “We also immediately alerted the district hospital administration before the injured were shifted to the hospital from the health centre”, an official said.
Leader of Opposition Yuri Alemao, Quepem MLA Alton D’Costa, Navelim MLA Ulhas Tuemkar, former Quepem MLA Chandrakant Kavlekar, Congress party Chief Amit Patkar and Capt Viriato Fernandes rushed to the South district hospital after hearing the news of the accident.
Chairman of Cuncolim Educational Society Videsh Desai, Secretary Prakash Desai, school manager, Vivek Padiyar, besides school teachers also rushed to the Balli health centre after hearing the news of the accident.
