Sixteen persons were injured last night when a minibus returning from a Soesdyke Highway creek lost control and skidded into a trench.

Reports are that the driver of the minibus was speeding along a section of the Friendship, East Bank Demerara Public road when he lost control of the vehicle and skidded into a trench. The minibus had been proceeding north along the western carriageway.

Those injured were rushed to the Georgetown Public Hospital  (GPHC) by three public spirited citizens. Heera Lall, 47; Jasmattie Lall, 45; Yearaaj Lall, 13; and Nehrajan Lall, 12 all of James and Hunter streets Albouystown sustained injuries and were the first batch to arrive at the hospital.

Heera, according to hospital sources, sustained a broken leg while his sister Jasmattie broke both legs and suffered abrasions about the body. The boys suffered minor injuries and were treated and released. Twelve other persons were treated and sent away at the hospital.

A truck driver, who transported the Lalls to the hospital, told this newspaper last night that he was driving along the section of the East Bank road when he noticed that a minibus in a “drain”.

“If you see how de front of this bus fold in…is a miracle that none of dem ain’t dead,” the truck driver stated. “We see dem and stop and two other vehicles stop to help bring dem to de hospital.”

One of the passengers on the minibus told Stabroek News at GPHC last night that they had spent the day at  a creek along the Soesdyke Highway. They were on their way home, the passenger recalled, when all of sudden the driver lost control of the vehicle at “a slight turn in the road”.

“Dem man give de driver two beer to drink at de creek…I ain’t know is wah exactly happen,” the passenger reported. “All I know is that we de driving along and this man end up in de trench.”