Tempo overturns on NH-17 highway near Katapadi

Report and Pictures by Prakash Katapadi
Bellevision Media Network

Katapadi, 4 June 2010: Seventeen out of twenty two persons, mostly workers originally hailing from Andhra Pradesh were hurt when a tempo carrying these workers from Padubidri to Udupi got overturned on NH-17 Highway near Katapadi petrol pump in the early morning of Wednesday, 2nd June 2010.

According to a report, the tempo met with an accident when a motorbike rider moving in front of the tempo suddenly applied break without warning. Due to the impact of the accident, one person named Jampat (22) was seriously injured and is being admitted to the hospital. Other sixteen workers who had suffered injuries of various degrees have been treated in different hospitals. Along with women five children were also travelling in the tempo.

Besides the workers, the tempo was also loaded with centring rods  and other logistics which were spilled on the highway. In spite of the serious nature of the accident, fortunately there was no loss of life. While the tempo was overturned, the motorbike was thrown nearly 30 feet away and was completely damaged. However, the injured bike rider escaped from the scene for the fear of being manhandled for his mistake of suddenly applying the break without prior indication.

Soon after the accident, the local people gathered around the scene and shifted the injured workers to the hospitals. Due to the accident, the traffic on the NH-17 Highway was disrupted for nearly half an hour. Within half an hour of the accident, the police from Katapadi Sub-station and the Fire-brigade personnel with the help of the public and the JCB managed to clear the road for the traffic.