Two dead, nine hurt as boulder flattens vehicles on Shillong-Dawki highway

SHILLONG, April 14: Two people were crushed to death while nine sustained injuries after a boulder fell on two vehicles, one of which belonged to the Rangbah Shnong of Wahlyngkhat, Seiborlang Jaktung, along the Shillong-Dawki road on Friday evening.
The incident took place at Ryngngain before reaching Lyngkyrdem, leaving two occupants in the Rangbah Shnong’s vehicle dead. The other nine people, who made a narrow escape, were occupants of another vehicle and have been shifted to the Pynursla Community Health Centre for treatment.
An eyewitness to the incident informed that the machines are currently trying to clear the debris. “We could see that there were two people inside the vehicle. But it is yet to be confirmed since the debris is not fully cleared,” the eyewitness told The Shillong Times, adding that the road has also been cut off.
Sources have revealed that Odisha-based M/s ARSS Infrastructure Pvt. Ltd, which is implementing the project, has sublet the work of taking up the earthwork for road-widening to members of a pressure group.
It has been alleged that the pressure group should have carried out the work from the side to widen the road for the sake of safety and to ensure that the boulders do not fall in the middle of the road in case of a landslide.
Sources have also alleged that the work was tantamount to illegal stone quarrying since they had purposely carried out the widening work in the middle to ensure that they would manage to extract maximum boulder stones.
It has been further alleged that the members of the pressure group are transporting the boulders, collected from the widening work of the Shillong-Dawki road project, to neighbouring Bangladesh.
According to the sources, people have been circulating messages to ply cautiously through this stretch of the road at Ryngngain for the past two weeks in view of the “haphazard” widening of the road.
“We had anticipated that the giant boulders will fall on the road. Now, who will be responsible for the loss the precious life in this incident?” the sources questioned.
It may be mentioned that the FKJGP Riwar Mihngi circle on April 6 had written to Sub Divisional Officer (Civil) of Pynursla, Evarinia Warjri, questioning the manner with which M/S ARSS was implementing the project.
“We are concerned how the company is implementing this road project, especially along the stretch at Ryngngain without taking measures about the safety of the commuters who ply through this road,” FKJGP Riwar Mihngi general secretary, Augustine Ryngksai, had stated in the letter.
Meanwhile, when contacted, SDO (Civil) of Pynursla Civil Subdivision informed that the magistrate had already gone to the spot to assess the situation.
She, however, said that she cannot confirm the number of casualties.
“I am on my way to the spot. I will share the details once I get the full report,” Warjri said, adding that efforts are under way to clear the debris.