Three persons, including two children, died yesterday afternoon following a collision between a van and a minibus which took place in the vicinity of the Mahaica market. Dead are 35-year old mini-bus driver Hafize Bacchus of Mahaica, and brothers Zakariyah Khan aged 5 and Ubaidulla Khan, aged 3, both of 35 Old Road Craig, EBD.
Samantha Marks, wife of the dead bus-driver Hafize Bacchus. Marks and her 2-year-old daughter were both injured in the accident.
Meanwhile, eleven other persons were hospitalized with injuries, two of whom were said to be in critical condition including Arfeen Khan, the father of the two boys and the driver of the van. Khan is the principal of the Darul-ul-ulool Islamic school in Diamond on the ECD.
Twenty-two year-old Pooran Singh was also said to be in a critical condition.
The details of the accident are sketchy. However, according to reports Khan, who was transporting his wife Shelenza Rasheed and five children back to Georgetown from Berbice, had stopped at the Mahaica market to buy a broom, when the minibus, BGG 4345, collided with the van from behind. The impact of the collision caused the van to careen into a nearby trench. The accident victims were rushed to the Georgetown Public Hospital, where the two children where pronounced dead on arrival.
Bacchus reportedly succumbed to his injuries while undergoing treatment.
Samantha Marks, the common-law wife of Bacchus was in the minibus when the accident occurred. She said that there were seven people in the bus and that they had just moved off from the Mahaica station. It is unclear whether the bus was working at the time. However, she said the accident took place about one village away from where they lived.
Relatives and friends of the Khan family gathered in the compound of the GPHC yesterday afternoon.
The woman said she was sitting in the third seat with her daughter when all she heard was a loud impact. There had been suggestions that her partner could have been drunk at the time, but Marks denied this and said that her husband last consumed alcohol on Boxing Day.
Marks is in a stable condition, although she suffered injuries to her neck. She and Bacchus had been together for five years and they have a 2-year-old daughter. Marks was very concerned about her daughter, Shanaza, whose face she said “looked very bad.”
Meanwhile, 12-year-old Nafeeza Rahaman, who was a passenger in the van, told this newspaper that all she remembered was that the driver had stopped to purchase a broom when there was a sudden impact. The 12-year-old suffered neck injuries but was listed in a stable condition.
According to Bibi Fazeeda Khan, the sister of Khan, her brother had travelled to Berbice on Christmas Eve with his family to visit a relative and to look after some personal business. She said that he had told her they would be spending one day, however, when she tried to contact him over the last two days, she had been unable to do so.
The woman said that she received a call yesterday afternoon informing her that he and his family had been in an accident, and they rushed to the hospital. She was saddened at the accident and especially at the death of her two nephews, who she said were adorable children.
According to a press release issued by the police last night the accident occurred at Hand-en-Veldt, Mahaica.
The release listed those who were injured as Shelenza Rasheed, 36, who was treated and sent away, and Akbar Khan, 30, of Craig, EBD; as well as Nafeeza Rahaman, 12, and Isha Khan, 7, of Grove, EBD. They were all travelling in the van.
Those injured in the minibus, the police said, were Amantha Marks, 22; Sheneza Bacchus, 2 years 7 months; Asif Bacchus, 20; and Pooran Singh, 22, all of Helena Mahaica; together with Doreen Seenarine, 60, of Supply, Mahaica; and Anil Maraj, 24. Of Good Hope, Mahaica.
In the same statement the police repeated their call for motorists to use the roads with care and avoid speeding, and drinking and driving.
healing and compensation to the families. treat it as wilful act and not accident until proven otherwise. god bless.
My heart goes out the families of those injured or loss their lives. Yet another sad day in Guyana.
How many more has to perish in order for something to be done regarding speeding? Given the extent of the damage, I am pretty sure speeding is a contributory factor.
Do these drivers go through driving school and extensive road test before they are put in charge of people’s lives? It seems as though just about anyone is driving these days. To be in charge of transporting members of the public there must be some form of regulations regarding the driver’s capability of doing so.
How expensive is it to post visible speed limits and have patrol officers out on the main roads frequently? I am pretty sure the prisoners can make traffic signs.
Too many drivers on the road to make a quick buck. Getting hit from behind is no joke. Enforce the traffic laws.
Condolences to the families involved. I feel your pain.
“Keep it “LIT”
there are ppl that park partially on the buisy lane of the road too.
so sad every christmas holiday the same.ppl just dont learn -innocent life gone.
In Guyana,’every Tom, Dick and Harry’, without adequate training and qualification, seems to be ‘licenced’ to either drive a motor vehicle or carry a gun. This, almost institutionalised lawlessness, is resulting in the alarming levels of road accidents and deaths, gun related killings and the culture of random violence.
Mr. kellawan Lall, the local Government minister, exemplified the above by his voyagerism – in using his firearm against an unarmed civillian; in the end , only to be given a ’slap on the wrist’ by his political bosses in the PPP and in the political administration.
The high levels of corruption, lack of accountability and transparency, in almost all levels of the society, makes it easy for irresponsible and lawless members to be ‘licenced’, to injure, kill and create mayhem, daily.
There will be no change of this sickening situation in the larger society, unless, there is significant change at the political level.
Condolences to the families. It’s always sad when a life is lost, moreso when lost so senselessly. There is a NEED for LAWS & have them ENFORCED. There is also a dire need for road markings & signs, speed limits etc. There should also be a SERIOUS revision of some licences expecially those licenced to transport passengers. TOO MANY LICENCES CAN BE BOUGHT IN GUYANA ………….. WAYYYYYYYYYY TOO MANY!!!
This is very sad indeed and my condolences, goes out to the families. But I have a question, what kind materials are these cars and minibuses, made of. Because even on medium impact,they fold like a tin can.
MADE IN CHINA,PAKISTAN, AND INDIA..
Soesdyke, Happy Holidys!
I was thinking the same thoughts. Over here we have to get a used vehicle certified to travel the roads , especially highways. In Guyana, the magicians who work on vehicles that have been totaled is putting them back on the roads. These vehicles can’t stand the impact of high speed crashes.
Now we have several families mourning the loss of loved ones and having to care for injured family members. The GPF needs to get a fully trained squad of TRAFFIC COPS for the “death roads of Guyana.”
i am an engineer i made a comment on the ug studient accident article u can read it.
the materials are sheet metal-just like plain sheet roof zinc.every part is pressed into shape and fitted with an electric glue when subject to high voltage it welds.some are seam welded just like seaming plastic bags and spot weld using robots.cars dont have chasis anymore the floor is bended into shape.there are also composite materials(plastic) like front and rear bumpers.THAT IS WHY I CALL THEM JAPANESE REJECT!.
SHEET METAL LIKE ROOF ZINC PRESSED INTO SHAPE AND WELDED,AND A FEW PLASTIC PARTS.
hitting from behind – hope they were wearing seatbelts. very tragic indeed.
From the bottom of my heart I feel very sad and I hope that will n ever happend again in guyana. my allah bless them alway. I(will always have them in my prayers
Two boys from the same family – how tragic indeed to have them snatched away like this. My condolences to the families. When will Guyanese drivers wake up and acknowledge the responsibilty they have in transporting people even their own relatives? I vote for a ban on Mini-buses in busy areas. 95% of the accidents we read about on SN are caused by Mini-buses.