27 young nursing students, principal among 32 injured on Dollonggre stretch of Tura-Paikan highway
TURA: Travellers passing through the Dollonggre stretch of the national highway connecting Tura with Paikan are a worried lot following two major accidents in the same area as questions begin to be asked over the road alignment particularly along the turns.
On Monday evening 32 passengers, including 27 young nursing students, sustained injuries when their bus rammed against the side of a wall in the Dollonggre stretch of the highway not far from the site of a major accident that took place in August last year.
A bus belonging to the RSM Nursing School from Holy Cross Hospital in Tura was ferrying 27 students along with four tutors and the principal when tragedy struck on Monday evening at approximately 5:30 pm.
The bus dashed straight against the side wall of the road while taking a turn on the descent causing injuries to the passengers.
Among the six seriously injured inmates of the bus, principal of the nursing school, Sr. Gery and the bus driver have been admitted to GNRC Hospital in Guwahati to undergo multiple surgeries for their injuries.
The nursing students and their tutors were to stay for the night in Kharkutta before travelling on to Shillong the next day when the mishap occurred.
“Something appears to be seriously wrong with the road alignment, Otherwise how come two major accidents have taken place in the same stretch ever since the new road was constructed?” questioned a priest who visited the site after the accident.
In August last year, a packed Shillong-bound Air Bus (ML-08-0609) had lost control at Dollonggre and smashed against the side wall of the road. Four passengers had died on the spot and 32 others sustained injuries.
