A tragic accident unfolded on Saturday night at the Verna Industrial Estate in South Goa when a private bus carrying company staff veered off the road and rammed into temporary shelters housing migrant laborers working on a road construction project. The incident, which occurred around 11:30 pm on Saturday, claimed the lives of four laborers and critically injured five others. The laborers were sleeping in the roadside shanties when the bus struck their dwellings.
Authorities identified the bus driver as Bharat Govekar, a resident of nearby Cartolim village. Police immediately apprehended Govekar and a medical examination confirmed he was driving under the influence of alcohol at the time of the crash.
#WATCH | Verna, South Goa: On Bus rams into roadside hutments, SP South Goa, Sunita Sawant says, “A bus was carrying employees of Rosenberger company. The driver failed in his attempt to make a turn and rammed the bus into the hutments by the side of the road… There were… pic.twitter.com/hcpe6s3pw1
— ANI (@ANI) May 26, 2024
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One of the surviving laborers, Rupender Kumar Mathur, recounted a harrowing tale of threats and delayed medical attention. Mathur claims the inebriated driver threatened those who escaped serious injury to keep silent about the incident. Mathur further alleges a significant delay in receiving medical assistance for the victims, hindering their chances of survival.
Mathur himself avoided the tragedy as he was outside the shanty on a phone call when the bus struck. Sadly, Mathur’s uncle Ramesh Mathur and brother Anil Mathur were among the fatalities.
The five critically injured laborers are receiving treatment at the Goa Medical College and Hospital. Police are currently investigating the accident.
