Prime Minister Ralph Gonsalves said St Vincent and the Grenadines is in a moment, a period of tremendous sadness. On Sunday afternoon a bus with mourners heading to a funeral in Owia went over an embankment in Sandy Bay killing five of the passengers on board.
This is the second time within seven years that such a tragedy has taken all victims from a single community.
In January 2015, seven students from Fancy died when the bus in which they were travelling careened off the road in Rock Gutter. This time five men have lost their lives all from the South Leeward village of Clare Valley.
Prime Minister Ralph Gonsalves on Monday speaking on NBC Radio said the period of mourning will continue until their burial and said that government would work with the families during this period of mourning.
“I am going to suggest to my permanent secretary to work with the families in respect of any arrangements in which our assistance may be required”.
“I want first on behalf of the Government and people of St Vincent and the Grenadines to express profound condolences to the immediate family and friends of the persons who have died. This period of mourning will last certainly until these individuals, the sons of St Vincent and the Grenadines are buried. I shall during the next couple of days seek to visit the families of those who have died and those indeed who were hospitalized”.
Gonsalves said at this juncture Vincentians must give support to the families and the friends of those who have suffered, who died and those who are injured and those who have suffered in one way or another.
“I want to thank all those who are involved In seeking to provide treatment and care for those who suffered In this terrible accident. I want to single out the nurses and the doctors and the police officers and those volunteers who assisted those who had to seek to pull the vehicle out from where it landed in this accident”.
Gonsalves the police commissioner, the entire police force, the chief medical officer, all the doctors and nurses, the hospital administrator in Kingstown and the deputy hospital administrator who is in charge of the Modern Medical Diagnostic Center and the clinic in Georgetown all perform their jobs with the highest distinction on Sunday.
