Monday horror: Road accidents claim 21 lives in Manipur

Imphal, March 27 (EMN): At least 21 persons, including three women were killed and more than 35 others seriously wounded in three separate road accidents in Manipur on Monday.

The first road incident wherein 11 persons including a woman lost their lives while more than 20 others sustained injury, took place when an Imphal bound tourist bus (MN014A-9503) coming from Dimapur (Nagaland) plunged into a gorge located in between Maram and Makhan villages along the Imphal-Mao sector of the National Highway 2, about 90 km north of Imphal under Senapati district around 3.30am, reports said.

Eight of them lost their lives on the spot, one succumbed to injury on way to Lairouching where the nearest health centre is located while one each also succumbed to injury at Senapati district hospital and another hospital in Imphal, it said.

The death toll is likely to rise as the condition of some the injured is serious, it added.

Police said that the cause of the accident is being ascertained.

A case has been registered at Mao Police station and investigation is going on.

The second incident took place when a goods truck fell down into a deep gorge from main highway at Lairouching area, 80 km north of Imphal, also under Senapati district around 10 am. The driver of the truck was killed on the spot while the handyman sustained injuries, reports said.

The third incident took place when another Imphal bound vehicle (Cruiser jeep-AS11-BC-2923) coming from Jiribam fell down a deep gorge near Irang bridge, about 100km west of here along Imphal-Jiribam sector of National Highway 37 under Nungba police station in Tamenglong district, around 12.45pm, according to reports.

Eight persons, including two women, out of 15 passengers were reported dead on the spot while one succumbed to injury on way to the hospital. The injured 6 persons were later evacuated to RIMS hospital here around 7.25pm.

Manipur governor, Dr Najma Heptulla sent out a condolence message to the members of the bereaved families. Also, Manipur chief minister, N Biren Singh, in a Facebook post said: “All possible help will be extended from my side and the government.”. Later the office of the chief minister also issued a condolence message.

It was announced that the Manipur government will offer an ex-gratia amount of Rs 2 lakh each to the next ofthe kin of the deceased persons, relief of Rs 50,000 to the seriously injured and Rs 30,000 to persons with minor injuries.