Shillong, April 21: Two persons were killed after a massive boulder crashed onto a Bolero pick-up (ML05 AD 5514) along the Shillong–Pynursla–Dawki road at Mawlieh, near Lyngkyrdem village, on Monday evening.
The incident occurred at around 5 pm while the vehicle was descending towards Pynursla. One of the deceased has been identified as Nangteibor Khongthohrem of Lumwahnai, while the other victim is Wanbor Nianglang of Pynursla.
Clearance operations at the site took several hours on Monday night, hampered by persistent rainfall.
The stretch has been under risk due to ongoing road-widening work. Authorities had earlier carried out controlled blasting to dislodge precariously hanging boulders that posed a threat to commuters.
The two-laning project on the Shillong–Pynursla–Dawki route is currently underway, with the Sub-Divisional Officer (SDO) of Pynursla regulating traffic movement daily from 7:00 am to 10:30 am and 3:30 pm to 9:30 pm to facilitate uninterrupted work and reduce risks.
The area has witnessed similar fatal incidents in the past. Last year, five people died after a vehicle plunged into a gorge near Rngain, while in 2024, two others were killed at the same location after being struck by falling rocks.
 along the Shillong–Pynursla–Dawki road at Mawlieh, near Lyngkyrdem village, on Monday evening.){kind=link}