QUEPEM: Another accident involving a mining truck took the life of the father of a 10-year-old at Tilamol in Quepem, on Wednesday afternoon, leading to a major confrontation between locals and authorities.

Agitated locals refused to allow authorities to remove the mangled body till late evening demanding a permanent ban on truck traffic, pointing to the regular accidents involving these out of control, speeding, and overloaded behemoths.

And even though the Collector, Mr G P Naik has issued a notification banning traffic for four days from March 31 to April 4 till the government decided on the matter, agitated locals, who had blocked the road from afternoon, vowed to do so till Thursday morning, terming this notification as an eyewash.

A strong police presence, including IRB added to the already very visible tension in the area.

This tragic accident at Tilamol, Quepem took place around 12.30 p.m. when a motorcycle rider, Mr Satish Rivonkar was literally crushed to his death after he fell in front of a speeding truck.

Rivonkar, a LIC agent, who is survived by his wife and 10 year old daughter, was returning home from Quepem when a speeding mining truck brushed his motorcycle from one side, resulting him falling on the road and in the path of a truck traveling towards Curchorem that could not stop in time, so crushed him under its rear wheel. His body was dragged for more then 10 mts and his guts literally spilled out on the road, infuriating the locals. Quepem PI Nagvekar reached the spot and after telling locals that the driver of the truck was being arrested, tried to remove the body from under the wheels by using a jack from one of the trucks, allegedly involved in the accident, but was accused of not carrying out a panchnama by the already infuriated locals, who immediately stopped him from doing so, and demanded that the Chief Minister, who is also the mining minister to come to the accident site. And they were heard vociferously reiterating their demand to the police and the authorities including the deputy collector, Quepem, Mr Agnelo Fernandes. Mr Fernandes was gheraod by the locals. But he explained to them that he cannot issue such orders and called up the Collector, South Mr G P Naik.

Interestingly, though Quepem ex-MLA, Mr Prakash Velip came to the accident spot, present Quepem and Churchorem MLAs did not come infuriating the locals even further.

Quepem DySP, Mr Rohidas Patre too was gheraod, holding him responsible for the death alleging that though he himself had given numerous assurances to them that he would take action against the speeding and overloaded ore transporting trucks, he had failed to do so accusing him of doing so because of extraneous circumstances.

At around 5 p.m the Collector, and SP, Mr Allen D’Sa arrived on the site and listened to the locals who were demanding to stop all ore transporting activity permanently. The Collector told them that he would temporarily suspend this transportation, which was not acceptable to the people. Later the SP took charge of the situation and the body was removed by lifting the ore-laden truck using a jack and the mutilated body parts were collected.

Meanwhile, the Quepem police have informed that they have arrested the truck driver, Rajesh Desai, a resident of Betul-Khangini. South Goa SP, Mr Allen D’Sa when contacted said that the situation is peaceful and added that no untoward incident has been reported.