Tura road mishap claims 5 lives

From A Correspondent

Tura, Sept 11: Five persons, including three women and a minor, died in a road mishap at Agalangre locality of Tura in West Garo Hills district on Monday, while nine others sustained grievous injuries.  

The vehicle (tempo) from neighbouring Mancachar town of Assam was ferrying people for medical treatment to a hospital here when it hit an electric pole and a boundary wall by the side of the road.

A three-month-old infant, who was in the tempo during the tragedy, was thrown off the vehicle and is still to be located. The incident took place around 10:45 am near Meghalaya Home Guards compound.  

Police said two died on spot, while three others died while undergoing treatment at Tura Civil Hospital.

The tempo was carrying 14 passengers, mostly women and children, when the accident occurred.

The deceased have been identified as Salima Khatun (35), Sajeda Begum (30) Saher Ali (45), Abdullah Hussain (3) and Kunsun Begum (50). All of them hailed from the village of Bengarbhita under Mancachar police station in Assam’s South Salmara district.

The injured have been identified as Ayub Hussain (7), Saidur Islam (7), Sahiul Islam (3), Jahanora Khatun (35), Alimuddin Sheikh (29), Asaf Ali (70), Sahima Begum (30), Mazima Bibi (28) and Moifful Begum (3).

West Garo Hills Superintendent of Police (SP) Raghuvendra Kumar said, “The occupants of the vehicle were on their way to Holy Cross Hospital. The vehicle acquired speed while going down a gradient road of Agilanggre due to apparent break failure and hit an electric pole before bumping onto the boundary wall, due to which the impact was severe.”

Kumar said prelimiry investigation suggests primary cause as break failure and contributory cause is overload of the vehicle. “A high-level probe has been ordered regarding road safety and stringent measures will be instituted based on the outcomes of enquiry report,” the SP added.