KOHIMA: A road accident in Nagaland’s Tseminyu district claimed the lives of eight individuals on Wednesday. The harrowing incident unfolded when an SUV, carrying seven passengers, collided with a goods vehicle, careening into a gorge along the Mokokchung-Kohima Road. The tragedy struck near K Station, approximately 65 km from the state capital.
The impact of the collision was so severe that both vehicles veered off the road. The goods vehicle, heavily laden with sand, landed on top of the SUV, resulting in the instantaneous death of six passengers and the driver. Despite valiant efforts, one surviving passenger, rescued from the wreckage, succumbed to injuries while en route to a hospital.
Responding swiftly to the distressing scene, Wokha police were alerted at 7:40 am. They promptly mobilised a traffic police team and a recovery van for a rescue operation, but couldn’t save the victims. While authorities are yet to release the names of the deceased, an investigation is underway, and the truck driver has been detained.
In a message of condolence to the bereaved families, Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio announced ex-gratia of Rs 2 lakh for the next of kin of each deceased. “I am deeply saddened by the tragic road accident in Tseminyu district where eight precious lives have been lost,” Chief Minister Rio wrote on a popular micro-blogging website, reaffirming the state government’s full support to the affected families.
This heart-wrenching incident marks the fourth road accident near Mokokchung town in the past week, sparking heightened concerns about pedestrian and public safety.
On September 13, three vehicular incidents occurred within the town on the same day, resulting in the loss of one life. In the early hours of that fateful day, at around 1:30 am, a hatchback car lost control and plunged into a steep drainage near the Estate Office in Alempang Ward. A 39-year-old man lost his life at the scene, while his co-passenger sustained a forehead injury and was discharged from the hospital after treatment.
Later in the day, around 4:00 pm, another hatchback car, suspected of reckless and intoxicated driving, struck a mother and daughter near the Sungkomen Ward petrol pump. Fortunately, both victims sustained minor injuries and have since been discharged from the hospital. Concurrently, a small van collided with a stationary bus at the town square, a mishap attributed to mechanical failure by police sources.
In light of the surge in road accidents in the vicinity, authorities have issued fervent appeals to residents to exercise extreme caution on the roads and adhere rigorously to traffic safety regulations.
