Five people were killed in St. Vincent and the Grenadines on Monday as a result of a crash in which a bus carrying several school children plunged into the sea.
It was originally reported that seven died in the accident but late Monday, the government reducted the number of fatalities.
Communications officer in the Ministry of Health, Wellness and t he Environment, Neeka Anderson-Issacs said two people are missing and 10 have been hospitalized at the Milton Cato Memorial Hospital while (MCMH), while four others are at the hospital in Georgetown.
The Ministry of Health said that approximately 21 passengers, including 14 students from the North Union and Georgetown Secondary Schools were in the bus when the incident occurred.
“Fifteen persons were initially seen at the Owia Clinic, where one was confirmed dead. The driver, who is alive and is himself nursing injuries, reportedly assisted in the rescue efforts,” Anderson-Isaacs said.
The communications officer said the ministry has activated its mass casualty management plan.
Adjustments were made at MCMH , the country’s main health care facility ,to accommodate the emergency.
Prime Minister Dr. Ralph Gonsalves, speaking on national radio, said the “entire nation of St. Vincent and the Grenadines…has been touched by this tragedy of national proportion.
“We all grieve and ask God for guidance and strength as well as we lean on one another,” he said, noting that the recovery of bodies from the sea is ongoing.
“Some of the questions you have are not fully answered, that will come in due time, right now it is the task of making sure that everyone is accounted for. We cannot yet give up hope because there are hope we can find additional survivors as inhospitable as the conditions are, we have to hope…and we have to put the pieces back together and to see what we can do to try to ensure that this…tragedy does not happen again,” Gonsalves said.
“It was a terrible accident and I think everyone’s heart is really heavy because of what has taken place,” he added.
In the wake of the tragedy, Prime Minister Gonsalves has announced a postponement of his budget speech that was scheduled to have been delivered to Parliament on Monday.
All feeds
