Two persons are dead and 15 injured after a pick-up collided with a bus transporting Rusal workers yesterday afternoon on a trail which runs through the Kwakwani mines.
Remington “Tuts” Wade, 40, and Terry Budburg, 30, both of Kwakwani (Upper Berbice/Upper Demerara) died shortly after the incident. Injured are Jason Sampson, 29; George Shakespeare, 45; Glendon Shakespeare, 40; Mark Adams, 37; Joel Merchant, 16; Cheston Jones, 21; Otis Conway, 37; Lambert Daniels; Wilbert Williams, 31; Lindon Burkoye, 40; Clive Lagoudou, 41; Andrew Courtman, 39; Harlo Andrian, 43; Sherwin Sealy and his 10-year-old son.
All the injured persons were air-dashed to the city last night for medical attention at the Georgetown Public Hospital (GPH). This newspaper understands that everyone but Sealy and his son suffered fractured bones as well lacerations about the body.
The incident, a Kwakwani resident told Stabroek News via telephone last night, occurred sometime before 6 pm. Stabroek News understands that Sealy, the pick-up driver, was going up an elevation in the trail. Sealy was headed to Kwakwani. His son was sitting in front with him while some of his workers were in the pick-up tray.
Adams left Kwakwani at about 5.30 pm to transport Rusal workers to Aroaima in the bus. As Adams drove towards Aroaima he too contemplated the elevation in the trail. Neither vehicle, reports said, saw each other until it was too late.
The two vehicles, the resident said, collided almost as the bus was going over the rise in the trail. Based on statements made by some of the injured persons, according to the resident, it was Sealy’s pick-up which got in the way of the bus.
Within 30 minutes of the collision, the resident further said, the victims were taken to the Kwakwani hospital.
Budburg, it is unclear which vehicle he was in, died at the scene of the incident. However, Remington, reports said, was in the front seat of the bus and was pinned after the collision. A forklift had to be used to get the man out of the crushed bus.
Remington, the Kwakwani resident recalled, was the last person to arrive at the medical institution in Kwakwani and died about five minutes later.
“The hospital is crowded here,” the resident said, “the families of the dead persons have gathered, the families of the injured persons have gathered and other persons are also here who just heard of what had happened and wanted to see…it is a sad scene,” they further described adding that, “those who have lost someone or are not sure how bad their loved one is injured are wailing…it is really, really, very terrible.”
There was some delay in getting the injured to a more advanced medical institution for further treatment. Normally, they would have been taken from Kwakwani to the Linden hospital and then transferred to the GPH based on the seriousness of their injuries.
Reports reaching this newspaper said that no ambulances were available to transport the victims and eventually a decision was made to have them flown from Kwakwani to the city.
Shortly before 11 pm the first batch of eight injured persons arrived at the Ogle International Airport. They were rushed by ambulance to GPH and immediately taken to the trauma room. Sherwin Sealy Junior was among those flown in.
Adams, the bus driver, was one of the first persons brought to GPH. The man was unconscious. Burkoye, Sherwin Sealy Junior and the other in that batch were brought in with blood-stained bandages at various parts of their bodies.
At press time the second set of injured persons was yet to arrive in the city. However, several waiting relatives said that based on reports reaching them from Kwakwani they were certain that their injured loved ones would be admitted as well. Most of the injured persons were accompanied by at least one relative.