09 Jan 2013  |   12:00am IST

3 hurt in mishap

A bid to outpace a minister's motorcade and arrive at a function ahead of the minister proved costly, when three persons including the branch manager of a credit cooperative society were seriously injured after their van plunged into the Chapoli-Devabhaga River at Gulem on Tuesday evening.

 

TEAM HERALD

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CANACONA: A bid to outpace a minister’s motorcade and arrive at a function ahead of the minister proved costly, when three persons including the branch manager of a credit cooperative society were seriously injured after their van plunged into the Chapoli-Devabhaga River at Gulem on Tuesday evening.

According to sources, the three occupants were speeding in their van (GA-05 B-7202) to attend the inauguration of a new branch of a credit cooperative society at Chaudi Canacona, when the vehicle skidded off the NH17 near the Ferina Gardens at Gulem.

The van then hit the concrete railings of the Gulem culvert before it fell into the river.

All three occupants were seriously injured in the mishap, while one was reported to be critical after he sustained injuries to his forehead and nose.

Police have provided the name of only one of the three injured persons as Netaji Kurtikar from Curti-Ponda.

Sources said one injured person is the branch manager at one branch and the van was reportedly travelling at high speed to reach the venue before Minister for Cooperative Societies Deepak Dhavalikar could inaugurate the branch.