Goa: Ponda-Bethoda-Nirankal road a death trap? Nearly 6-8 injured after passenger bus flips over

PONDA: On Saturday morning at around 7.15 am, a passenger bus plying between Dabal to Ponda in the Shiroda constituency of Goa, turned turtle and fell off the narrow road at Bethora causing injuries to several passengers most of them students.

The bus was carrying around 20-22 passengers when the accident happened and most of them were college students on their way to college or work. The ill-fated bus met with an accident at around 7.15 am, locals said and about three passengers have sustained grievous injuries.

According to residents of Shiroda, Nirankal and Bethora the roads are a death trap and accidents are common. The roads are narrow and drivers, particularly passenger cars and buses drive fast and rashly on the narrow roads leading to accidents, said Jonathan Fernandes of Bethoda.

In the last 5 years, residents of the four Panchayats, including Borim, Bethora, Shiroda and Panchwadi in the Shiroda constituency have come out on the roads to agitate for tapped water, street lights, internet and mobile connectivity and well-maintained roads.

Some of the injured in Saturday’s accident were shifted to the Goa Medical College and Hospital (GMC). Their injuries included fractures on legs and hands, neck injuries and other muscle tears or sprains that will need treatment and care for weeks.

“The roads in the Bethoda, Nirankal and even Borim village areas are pathetic. The traffic is quite heavy, but the roads are narrow and vehicles drive rashly in an attempt to overtake each other. Accidents are common on this stretch which desperately needs to be widened,” said Sarvesh Naik – a resident of Nirankal.