Udupi: Several occupants of a car sustained injuries after the vehicle veered off National Highway 169A and crashed into the premises of a municipal drinking water treatment plant at Eshwar Nagar in Manipal late on Sunday night. Local residents have once again raised concerns over the safety of the accident-prone stretch, urging authorities to complete pending highway works and install protective barriers.
Car veers off highway
According to available information, the car bearing registration number KA-20 ME-8968 was travelling from Manipal towards Athradi when the driver reportedly lost control of the vehicle.
The car left the carriageway and rammed into the municipal drinking water treatment plant located at Eshwar Nagar along NH-169A.
The impact of the collision was severe, causing the airbags to deploy and resulting in significant damage to the vehicle.
Occupants injured in the crash
The occupants of the car, believed to be teenage students, sustained head injuries in the accident.
They were immediately shifted to a nearby hospital for treatment. However, their medical condition has not yet been officially confirmed by the authorities.
Police are expected to investigate the circumstances that led to the accident.
Residents blame incomplete highway works
Following the incident, local residents alleged that repeated accidents have occurred at the same location due to incomplete and unscientific execution of the National Highway 169A project.
According to them, the stretch lacks essential road safety infrastructure, including crash barriers, protective fencing and adequate warning signs, making it particularly hazardous for motorists.
Residents claimed that drivers descending from the Manipal side often assume the road continues straight ahead, especially at night or while travelling at higher speeds. As a result, vehicles frequently overshoot the carriageway and enter the premises of the drinking water treatment plant.
Concerns over missing boundary wall
Locals also pointed out that the drinking water treatment plant, which supplies water under an agreement with a hospital in Manipal and is privately maintained, does not have a proper protective boundary wall.
They alleged that the original compound wall was demolished during the highway expansion works but has not been reconstructed.
According to residents, the absence of a protective wall has increased the risk of vehicles entering the premises whenever accidents occur at the location.
Demand for immediate safety measures
Residents said the highway widening project remains incomplete due to pending legal issues, leaving the stretch without adequate safety measures.
They recalled that noted Tulu actor Bhojaraj Vamanjoor had also met with an accident at the same location in the past, highlighting the recurring nature of crashes on the stretch.
The public has urged the district administration and the National Highways authorities to complete the pending road works at the earliest, reconstruct the boundary wall, install crash barriers and protective fencing, and improve road signage to prevent further accidents.
Authorities are expected to assess the damage caused to the water treatment facility while the investigation into the incident continues.