Arunachal Pradesh Chief Minister Kalikho Pul today met families of the victims of a recent road accident that claimed 15 lives in West Kameng district, and called for widening narrow stretches of accident-prone roads in the hill state to avert tragedies.
At least 15 people including 12 women died when the vehicle they were travelling skidded off the road and fell into a 300-meter gorge near Bitchiling village in West Kameng district yesterday.
Pul met the families of the victims at their funeral site.
The bodies of 15 victims have been recovered from the gorge and assembled at the funeral site, an official communique informed. The accident scene is 11 km from Kalaktang town.
The CM pointed out that the accident spot was a narrow stretch and was recently cleared of a landslide.
"It is a bad practice to clear roads with such narrow passage that makes the spot accident-prone," the CM said and urged the administration to start immediate work for widening of the narrow stretch.
Pul handed over Rs 4 lakh cheque to the next of kin of each victim and assured an additional sum of Rs 2 lakh from the Chief Minister's Relief Fund to be handed over through the district administration.
The chief minister also donated Rs 5 lakh collected personally towards the contribution for the last rites.
Power Minister TN Thongdok accompanied the chief minister to the funeral site.
PWD Minister Kumar Waii, Mechuka MLA Pasang D Sona, Seppa East MLA Tapuk Taku, Chayang Tajo MLA Karya Bagang, Bomdila MLA Japu Deru and PPA President Kahfa Bengia were also present.
