Panambur Accident: 'He Called Mom before God Called Him'
by Melka Miyar
Daijiworld Media Network - Mangalore (SP)
Mangalore, Nov 3: It was a sad Monday morning for many, since after the week-end it was a day for work, while a few others were on their way to office. Amidst these five friends from different parts of Mangalore were on their way back home after the leisure they spent in Goa for the last couple of days.
But the entire district received the shocking news, first the death of these three and eventually other two who injured in the accident at Panambur on Monday November 3 morning.
The tragic accident on the highway claimed five lives leaving thousands of their family members and well-wishers in great shock and deep sorrow.
(L to R) Shameer, Vicky, Lionel, Anwar
Within minutes after flashing the news on the website, daijiworld.com Mangalore office started receiving calls regarding the identity of the deceased.
Mohammed Nizar, a regular reader of Daijiworld.com from Dubai and close friend of one of the victims Vicky spoke to Daijiworld office in Mangalore and said, "Last night Vicky (Vikram) was chatting with me from Goa on Google chat, and I could not accept the tragic news of his death this morning." He shared this photograph of four which they took just two days before in Goa and Vicky posted them on the blog.
Vikram (23), a resident of Samethadka in Puttur, was in search of a job since the last few days. Earlier, he worked for Reliance Broadband Company and later, for HDFC Insurance Company in Puttur. His father died a few years ago and his mother is a government employee. He is survived by an elder brother also. One of his neighbourers said that Vikram used to be always friendly with everyone. Everyone who knew him used to love his company. But God chose to snuff out his life at such an early age.
Shameer, resident of Neerakani in Vittal, had been to the city to write an examination. His parents are in Dubai and Shameer was also working there. He joined his old classmates to spend his leisure time in their company. He is the third among the four children of Ahmed, say his neighbourers in Vittal.
Lionel Michael Noronha (22), another victim is a resident of Jeppu. He called his mom at 6 am on Monday November 3 and said that he was on his way back to the city. But God's call was waiting for him at Panambur, as he died there in a tragic accident, with his four friends, only a few minutes away from his home. He and his ill-fated friends were returning after undertaking a tour of Goa.
Lionel is a BCA graduate and the only son of Philip Liguory and Flora Noronha. He had been to Goa on Friday October 31 with his old college mates. Incidentally, this was his first-ever long trip anywhere. His parents never sent him to any far-off places, as they were afraid of accidents. Most probably, some astrologer must have told them that travel in vehicles can endanger him, opine his neighbours.
He was working in a tours and travels agency in Falnir since the last few months. Moreover, he kept his passport and four-wheeler driving licence ready, as he had tall dreams for the future. But the fatal accident shattered all his dreams and those of his parents.
Preetham
Preetham (26) hailing from Puttur was a resident of Amulya Apartments in Mannagudda here was a former student of Shri Devi College. He was a bright student and had done his BBM from St Philomena's College Puttur from 2000-03 batch. He was the only son of his parents. He was working for Yes Bank for the last 6 months. Though earlier it was reported that it the ill-fated were travelling in an Indica car, now it has been established that they were travelling in a 'Ford Ikon' car which Preetham had bought only 10 days ago.
The accident occurred at Panambur on Monday November 3, between a bus speeding towards Udupi from Bangalore and the car which was coming to the city from Goa. As reported earlier the accident claimed a total of five lives, including Preetham and Anwar. All of them had studied together in a college in the city and had their own plans for the future. But they are now just memories for their parents, relatives and friends.
The roads here have the dubious distinction of claiming the lives of people now and then. No one knows as to why some things keep happening on this road. Earlier, the iron-ore-laden trucks used to behave like the agents of death. But they are not plying on the roads at present, as there is no demand for the iron ore. It is sad that the buses are replacing the iron ore trucks as the new agents of death.
Mangalore: Private Bus - Indigo Car Collision Leaves Five Dead
Pics by Sphoorthi Ullal
Daijiworld Media Network - Mangalore (SP)
Updated at 1 pm IST
The deceased have been identified as Sameer and Anwar from Neerakani near Vittal, Vikram Bhat, Preetham from Darbe near Puttur and Lionel Micheal Noronha from Jeppu in the city . All of them had gone to Goa for a picnic and were on their way back home when the accident occured. The car was hired from Madikeri. Sameer had come home from Dubai on holidays only a couple of days ago.
Mangalore, Nov 3: The rash driving of the private buses which has been in the news regularly for wrong reasons in the twin-districts, has claimed three lives on Monday November 3. In a terrible accident that occured at Panambur near the beach road on the the city outskirts at around 7.30 am on Monday November 3 between a private bus and an Indigo car, three occupants of the car met a gory death.
An Indigo car bearing Madikeri registration, was moving towards the city on the left side of the road, when tragedy struck. An private bus speeding towards Udupi dangerously swerved to extrene right and crushed the car under it. As a result, the three persons travelling in the car, died on the spot while two more were admitted to A J Hospital with serious injuries.
The car was badly mangled in the accident and got stuck under the bus because of the impact of the accident. Fire tenders were summoned to separate the two vehicles. Traffic was blocked at the scene of the accident for about an hour.
Highway widening work is on between Suratkal and Bantwal and the entire stretch of the road is full of deviations, debris, half-completed stretches etc. Hence, the drivers need to navigate their vehicles carefully on this stretch of the road. Prima facie, the driver of the bus was careless in handling his vehicle, going by the scene of the accident. There have been several complaints about the rash and negligent of buses on the highway and reckless drivers competing with other buses have been posing danger to the road users, particularly on the national highway between Udupi and Mangalore.