A joint funeral service was conducted Sunday amidst a deep pall of gloom for the five women church members of Chümoukedima Ao Baptist Church (CABA) who died in a tragic road on Saturday (January 31) evening at 10th Mile Road, Kohima, under the jurisdiction of Chiephobozou Police Station.
The funeral service was held for the deceased identified as : N. Amongla, Imtimenla, Asangla Pongen, Bendangla Jamir, and Yangerinla and attended by grieving family members, relatives, church leaders, Ao civil society organisations, CSOs of Chümoukedima, and well-wishers.
MYSTERY
What lent a chilling mystery was an incident that happened just before the church team departed from Mokokchung where they had gone to attended a revival meeting.
According to a member of the team, shortly after prayer, a child who appeared to be mentally unsound climbed on the bus and stared at the passengers silently.
When asked what had happened, the mysterious child simply replied, “We will meet at Tseminyu”, and left.
He said this prompted the passengers to pray again before the start of their journey at around 2:30 pm.
As they travelled, one woman became afflicted with motion sickness and the bus had to stop a number of times.
He said they halted at Botsa for tea then once again prayed before resuming their journey.
As they moved on, he said the bus suddenly developed some problems and despite the bus driver trying his best to stop the bus, it rolled over on the roadside , resulting in the deaths of five women and injuries to several others.
Speakers, including relatives of the deceased, Ao organisations, churches, and CSOs, delivered solidarity messages.
Legislators’ messages were also read out. Reflections focused on God’s will, urging the Ao community to remain steadfast in faith and repentance as committed during the recent revival programme. They prayed that the lives lost would serve as a solemn reminder for spiritual renewal and unity among the Aos.
It was reported that the bodies of the five deceased were also buried at the same place in the cemetery. CABA also expressed gratitude to Northern Angami Youth Organisation (NAYO) and Tsiesema village youth during the rescue and relief operations.
Kohima police rule out rash driving
Kohima police Sunday informed that preliminary investigation was on at the scene of the tragic bus accident on Saturday evening and ruled out rash or drunken driving as the cause.
According to Kohima police PRO, information was received at around 8:10pm about the accident at 10th Mile Road, Kohima, under Chiephobozou police station jurisdiction.
Thereupon a joint team comprising the district administration, Chiephobozou police station, and Kohima traffic police immediately rushed to the spot to take stock of the situation and initiate emergency response.
According to PRO it was ascertained that a private bus bearing registration NL07B-0510, carrying 32 passengers (members of the Chumoukedima Ao Baptist Church), overturned at the location.
The cause appeared likely that the bus developed mechanical snag, which led to the accident. PRO added that a detailed technical examination was underway.
PRO said five female passengers tragically succumbed to their injuries and were declared dead at the spot. PRO said bodies were retrieved from the accident site and, after completion of all necessary legal formalities, handed over to their bereaved families.
The remaining passengers with minor injuries were shifted to Christian Institute of Health Sciences and Research (CIHSR), Dimapur, for treatment, PRO added.
Meanwhile, Kohima police have acknowledged and appreciated the swift assistance from the Northern Angami Youth Organisation (NAYO) and Tsiesema village youth during the rescue and relief operations.