Driver killed, porter hospitalized

Jul 29, 2008 News

…as cement truck pins men after bridge collapses

By Fareeza Haniff and Leonard Gildarie

One man is dead and another is seriously injured after a bridge linking New Providence to Mocha, on the East Bank of Demerara, collapsed yesterday as the cement truck in which the men were travelling was crossing it.

The truck, which was transporting cement for a resident in the area, was attached to Ready Mix and Quarries of Toolsie Persaud Ltd. It flipped into the trench and pinned the men.

Dead is the driver of the truck, Ramesh Ramrattan, 44, also known as ‘Fenton,’ of 38 Church Street, Friendship, East Bank Demerara.

In a serious condition at the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC) is Imran Hassan, 26, a porter of the company and of 80 BB, Eccles, East Bank Demerara.

The accident occurred at approximately 10:30hrs yesterday, and the men were pinned for two hours under the truck.

Ramrattan died while waiting to be pulled out of the vehicle; and, according to Imran Hassan’s father, Naseer Hassan, his son managed to survive because he tried to jump out of the truck when the bridge collapsed.

Speaking with this newspaper, the injured Imran Hassan said that at first he was hesitant to jump from the vehicle when it began to topple.

“I don’t know to swim and I see that I had to jump in a trench, but ah mek up meh mind and jump.”
Hassan, who endured some two hours of excruciating pain, called his sister while he was trapped inside the vehicle and informed her of the accident.

This newspaper learnt that Hassan begged for his father to go to the scene. “If I gat to dead, at least ah want meh father with me.”

The skin on Hassan’s right arm was burnt when one of the rescuers used a cutting torch to free him from the wrecked cab. They had to cut many parts of the vehicle, including the door under which Imran lay.

At the hospital yesterday, Hassan was practically begging the doctors to amputate his feet, because of the excruciating pain he was experiencing.

Kaieteur News understands that both his feet were pinned against the exhaust of the vehicle.
His father, Naseer, explained that he suffers from a heart condition and he was thankful that his heart did not give out while he was assisting his son.

He explained that, just before the rescuers managed to pull the young man free, there was an instance when he was held under the truck by a piece of his pants that was snagged on to something.

“Every time they pulled, something holding he back, and nobody wanted to go under the truck to see what was holding him back.”

The truck, at the time, was partially suspended by a chain attached to a front end loader which was attempting to lift the truck.

“I say is me son, and if I got to dead with he that gun have to happen; so I go under and managed to free him, and when they pull he come out.”

The release of the injured Imran set off cheers from the large crowd that had gathered at the wrecked bridge as soon as the truck toppled and the bridge collapsed.

When the incident occurred, scores of residents rushed to the scene and set about trying to free the unfortunate men.

News soon spread that one of the men was alive, and it was on him that the people focused their attention. They suspected that the driver of the vehicle, Ramrattan, had succumbed.

Personnel from the Ministry of Public Works arrived on the scene, and had to cut one of the doors before they proceeded to cut the chassis.

It was also explained that a representative from Toolsie Persaud Limited turned up at the scene and was not in agreement with the decision to destroy the truck; but after some of the residents threatened to beat him, he immediately changed his mind.

The incident occurred at just about 10:30 hours, and the men were pulled out from the vehicle at precisely 12:30 hrs.

An ambulance, which was on standby, immediately rushed the badly injured Hassan to the GPHC.
At the home of Ramrattan yesterday, his family and friends were in shock at his demise.

Although the accident occurred mid-morning, his family and relatives were made aware of it only at around 14:30hrs yesterday, four hours later.

Crying hysterically, the man’s eldest daughter, 16-year-old Aneisa Ramrattan, said that she was at lessons when her mother went to collect her and informed her that her father had an accident and was at the hospital. The teen said that her mother didn’t know that her father was already dead.

According to the girl, her mother, Vidya Ramrattan, had told her father not to go to work that morning because she had a feeling that something ‘bad’ would have happened and she has been having some uncomfortable dreams the last few days.

The girl noted that her mother spoke with Ramrattan at around 10:00hrs yesterday, and he told her that he was on his way to drop off some cement in New Providence and that he would come home early.

The woman did not know that it was the last time she would speak to her husband, as the accident occurred just half an hour after that conversation.

The man has been employed with Toolsie Persaud Ltd for close to two years; and according to his neighbours, he was always peaceful.

His youngest daughter, Kamini Ramrattan, 9, cried incessantly when she heard that her father was dead.
The man leaves to mourn his wife, Vidya Ramrattan, and his three kids, Aneisa Ramrattan, Kamini Ramrattan and Imran Das, aged 17.

Residents of New Providence had for some time been complaining about the poor condition of that bridge. They said that for the past two years the bridge had been rotting and complaints were made to the Ministry of Public Works to have it renovated.

One resident explained that the repairs would have cost some $7.5M, and they were told by Government that, should they raise $2 million, the administration would provide the remainder.

The residents came together and raised some $2.5 million, but it is still not clear what happened to the money promised by the administration.

“Somebody had to die, or lose a limb or property before some action would be taken. Now that this has happened, I figure that time is of the essence for them now”, said Maxwell McKay, a resident of the area.

Kaieteur News understands that the residents had also asked GUYSUCO to help repair the bridge since that company uses it to access the canefields. But, according to the residents, the corporation told them that the bridge was not their responsibility.

Colin Swaving, who was crossing the bridge at the same time as the truck, said that he saw when the truck took the turn to the bridge and he moved to the left of the bridge to give way to the vehicle.

“All I remembered is that the bridge broke and pulled the truck right over into the trench, and then the men started to scream for ‘Help! Help!’ “But they were pinned down, and nobody could have done anything to help them.”

The man noted that he had just left his home, and his Pastor had only a few minutes before prayed for him.
“I am so happy that God saved my life,” Swaving reflected.

Meanwhile, Kaieteur News understands that the bridge had a sign which stated that only vehicles of five tonnes or less should cross. According to one resident, it appears as if someone removed the sign.

Speaking with Kaieteur News on the status of the bridge before it collapsed under the truck’s weight yesterday, Minister of Public Works, Robeson Benn, disclosed that repairs and rehabilitation of the link between the Mocha Road and New Providence were not among the projects listed for this year.
The area comes under the local Neighbourhood Democratic Council, he said.

The minister was unable to comment on the removal by unknown persons of the warning sign at the bridge.
“If it is a case of someone removing the sign, then it is something that should be condemned.”

Benn indicated that the Neighbourhood Democratic Council of the area had been asked to investigate the state of the bridge and provide a report to the ministry.

Toolsie Persaud employees, who transported material to the construction site at New Providence, said that they had actually moved two loads of cement to the area within the past month. Yesterday was the third. It proved a fateful trip.

For now, those residents with cars can do no more than park their vehicles, since they have no other ingress or egress to the area.

Those who had left before the collapse were contemplating parking their vehicles at the Providence Police Station, at the head of the Mocha access road.