John Wilbert & Vikramaditya
Port Blair, Mar 13: A fatal road accident that occurred early this morning in Brichgunj area has resulted in the death of a minor girl and severe injuries to another two children. According to reports, the accident took place near a Middle school at Brichgunj around 8:15 AM today, when a private truck collided with a motorcycle carrying a father and his three minor children who were on their way to school.
Unfortunately, the collision caused the death of an eighty year old girl on the spot, while another child sustained severe injuries. The incident led to a large gathering of local residents who stopped all trucks carrying quarry materials on the Brichgunj road and handed them over to the police.
The driver of the truck involved in the accident has been arrested, and a case has been registered against the truck’s owner. The police are currently investigating the matter.
Residents of Brichgunj have been demanding the suspension of all six and ten-wheeler trucks on the road, citing recent major accidents involving heavy trucks loaded with quarry materials. Despite their repeated requests to the Andaman administration and the police department, no action has been taken to address the issue.
Following today’s tragedy, residents have organized a protest against the movement of heavily loaded trucks from the area, which they believe poses a threat to public safety. They are demanding that such vehicles must use an alternate road, which goes via Corbyn’s area, as directed by the administration.
In response to the incident, the Superintendent of Police Traffic has written a letter to the Deputy Commissioner South Andaman, requesting an alternate route for Heavy Goods Vehicles (HGV) towards Brichgunj quarry. The letter also recommends prohibiting the plying of HGVs on the main route from Brichgunj Junction to Brichgunj Village road, as it is a residential area with schools.
Deputy Commissioner South Andaman has since released a notice against truck plying in the Brichgunj road, directing all trucks to ply via Brookshabad towards Corbyn Chowk via sea shore connecting PBMC dumping yard.
The tragic accident in Brichgunj has highlighted the urgent need to address the issue of heavy truck traffic on residential roads to ensure the safety of the public, particularly minors who travel to and from schools.
