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Meghalaya: Traffic jam causes death of newborn as mother delivers in car
The woman was forced to deliver the baby in the vehicle but the new born could not survive because of the delay in reaching the hospital
A pregnant woman on her way to the hospital to deliver her baby lost the newborn after being forced to give birth in the vehicle because of a traffic jam near a village in Meghalaya.
The roadblock was caused by a fishing competition at Pamphyrnai in Ksehkohlong village of Meghalaya’s West Khasi Hills on Sunday.
Speaking to HT over phone from Nongstoiñ, the district capital, deputy commissioner Garod LSN Dykes said he has convened a meeting on Tuesday with the superintendent of police and other officials to decide on the course of action against the organisers of the fishing competition.
“The administration has taken cognizance of the unfortunate incident and will convene tomorrow whereby appropriate action as per law will be taken. We will also study at length on the permission given by the district council without consulting the district administration for the said fishing competition,” he said.
According to reports, the pregnant mother who was travelling to hospital to deliver her baby was stuck in the road at Nongspung for hours. The vehicle she was travelling in could not move because of the traffic jam on the road, caused by a large number of people including anglers and spectators walking towards the pond, the competition venue.
The woman was forced to deliver the baby in the vehicle but the new born could not survive because of the delay in reaching the hospital. The mother is currently under medical treatment at Holy Cross Hospital, Mairang.
It was learnt that her family members had to walk from Nongspung to Pamphyrnai to request police personnel to clear the road as she had to be rushed to hospital.
Thousands of people from various parts of East Khasi Hills and the three districts of West Khasi Hills crowded the road, both in their vehicles and on foot, to reach the competition venue. The pond is located close to the Shillong – Nongstoiñ highway.
Vehicles ferrying participants to the fishing competition were parked on both sides of the highway, leaving little place for other vehicles to negotiate the crowd.
As a result, hundreds of vehicles travelling on the road between Shillong to Nongstoiñ were caught in the traffic jam , which lasted for several hours. Among those who were stuck in the traffic jam included ambulances, police vehicles and passenger vehicles.
Local people said that this is not the first time that a traffic jam occurred at Pamphyrnai because of fishing competitions.
They also said that in several areas along the Shillong – Nongstoiñ highway fishing competitions are held, resulting in traffic jams that last for hours.
Concerned citizens have questioned the West Khasi Hills authorities for not doing to ease the traffic chaos caused by such competitions. “Just because of the monetary benefit of fishing pond owners and the huge prizes won by few anglers, the public cannot be made to suffer,” a citizen said.
Others suggested that such fishing competitions should be held away from public roads or highways so that vehicles can play normally.
