Accidents mar New Year; one dead, several injured

Margao/Canacona/Bicholim: New Year’s celebrations were overshadowed by road accidents across Goa that claimed one life and left several people injured.

Melari Ningappa Bewawadar, 28, from Jayantinagar, Karnataka, was killed in a self-accident on the Manohar Parrikar bypass in Canacona on Thursday morning. Police said he lost control of his motorcycle while travelling from Margao towards Karwar, striking a road divider with such force that he died instantly. The motorcycle was dragged approximately 20m from the point of impact.


Following an inquest, the body was shifted to South Goa district hospital for an autopsy.

At Sarvan, Bicholim, two people were hurt when a driver lost control on a steep stretch of a road. The vehicle collided with a parked scooter, injuring the rider who was standing beside it, before overturning and trapping the driver inside. Bystanders broke open the car doors to free him. Both individuals were taken to a hospital for treatment. A pillion rider on the scooter narrowly escaped, stepping away just before the collision.

Earlier in the day, a vehicle crashed into a telephone pole on the Curchorem-Quepem road at Bansai, causing extensive damage to the vehicle’s front end.

Bihar tourist drowns off Morjim

A tourist from Bihar drowned off Morjim beach on New Year’s Eve. The man, along with his friend who is also from Bihar, arrived on Wednesday to party, but fell victim to the waves.

According to the police, Aditya Raj, 25, and Aditya Narayan, 26, were swimming when they began to drown. They were brought brought ashore and rushed to medical facilities for treatment.

While Raj was admitted to the GMC in a critical condition, Narayan was declared dead at the Tuem community health centre.

“The two men came to Goa to ring in the New Year. They went for a swim and were pulled out to sea. Both began to struggle and one drowned,” said an officer attached to the Mandrem police station.

In Dec 2024, a 25-year-old Bengaluru resident, Varcky George, drowned at Morjim while swimming with friends.

In another instance on Wednesday, three men in their mid-20s from Karnataka were rescued after they found it difficult to swim off Baga beach and were unable to make it back to shore.

After noticing them struggling, a rescue operation was carried out by six Drishti Marine lifesavers to bring all three to safety.