16 injured in Quepem accident

QUEPEM: Sixteen persons were injured in an accident in which a passenger bus collided with a goods tempo at Tanki, Quepem, on the Margao-Curchorem road on Monday morning. Traffic on the Quepem- Curchorem road was blocked for around one- and-half hours as a crane was called from Margao police station since there was no crane available at Quepem and Curchorem police stations.
Even traffic police reached late at the accident site to divert the traffic, a police officer who was held up in the traffic jam, told TOI.
The Curchorem police inspector reached first at the site. Later, the Quepem police arrived and took charge of the situation.
Police sources said that the bus, with 30 passengers on board, was proceeding from Margao to Curchorem via Quepem at full speed. It collided with the pickup at 9am when it was trying to overtake another vehicle. All the four persons sitting in the front seat in the tempo had a miraculous escape without injury.
Two persons were admitted to Cacora health centre, four were shifted to Hospicio, Margao, while the bus driver along with one more passenger were admitted to Goa medical college (GMC) and hospital, Bambolim. Police sources said that the bus driver received major fractures in both legs. The impact of the collision was such that the front portion of the bus and the entire cabin was crushed. Quepem police booked offences against the bus driver for rash and negligence driving under Sections 279 and 337.