PANAJI: Seven tourists from Satara, Maharashtra, sustained injuries after their car collided with a stationary container truck on the highway near Karaswada, Mapusa. The accident occurred around 5:30 am today near the Bandekar petrol pump.
The tourists, travelling in an Ertiga car (MH 05 CM 4914), were en route towards Mapusa when the car’s driver, Shankar Arate, failed to notice the parked truck on the highway. The car, reportedly speeding, rammed into the rear of the container truck.
The injured have been identified as Ganpat Kasit (47), Sachin Phalke (47), Uday Bhosale (45), Pramod Jhanjne (47), Dharmendra Phalke (48), Pramod Jadhav (48), and Shankar Arate (47). Among them, Ganpat, Sachin, and Uday sustained severe injuries and are undergoing treatment at GMC. The others, with minor injuries, were treated and discharged from the Mapusa district hospital.
Eyewitnesses and locals rushed to the scene to assist the injured. Two passengers trapped in the car’s front seats had to be rescued by the Mapusa Fire Brigade.
Following the accident, the truck driver fled the scene with the container truck. The Mapusa police conducted a panchanama and are actively searching for the driver.
