est. 2007

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Bus Crashes In St.Joseph Intransit To The Party Monarch Finals Held At The East Coast~A Time For National Mourning

Tragedy At Joes River – Six Dead In Barbados Tour Bus Crash Our Condolences To Families And Friends The Barbados Advocate has a story online. Nothing on the Nation News yet that we can see… From the Barbados Advocate…   A FULL investigation will be launched into the crash that claimed the lives of six…

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Tragedy At Joes River – Six Dead In Barbados Tour Bus Crash

barbados-bus-accident.jpg

Our Condolences To Families And Friends

The Barbados Advocate has a story online. Nothing on the Nation News yet that we can see…

From the Barbados Advocate…

 

A FULL investigation will be launched into the crash that claimed the lives of six Barbadians yesterday along Joe’s River, St. Joseph, as they made their way to the Party Monarch Finals at the East Coast Road.

Just after 11 o’clock yesterday (Sunday) morning, the lives of three men and three women were cut short when the 40-seater vehicle carrying patrons who purchased an all-inclusive package from Mount Gay Distilleries, for the much anticipated and high-paced Party Monarch Finals was involved in an accident which saw an additional 37 persons seeking medical attention at the Accident and Emergency Department of the Queen Elizabeth Hospital (QEH).

Five of the deceased include Adrian Franklin of Lot No.2 Oughterson Park, St. Philip; Lorie Marshall of Parks Road, St. Joseph; Nancy Griffith of Gooding Alley, Church Street, St. Peter; Kenrick Harewood of Stadium Road, Bush Hall, St. Michael, and Morton Brathwaite of Sayers Court, Christ Church. The identity of sixth person was not available up to press time.

… continue reading this article at the Barbados Advocate (link here)

BU wish to express our deep felt sympathy at what was a tragedy of enormous proportions. We have published the Barbados Free Press story in full to respond to the many hits our site has been receiving from Barbadians around the world. We have some strong views on how this matter was handled yesterday; but we appreciate that it is the morning after and continues to be a very sensitive time for the family and the country.

 

For those readers who do not want to read about our initial views which we will elaborate on at a future date you can stop reading HERE.

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  • We want to state for the record that Minister Dale Marshall should relax a little. This is not a time to score cheap political points. Is in your face approach given his “dead pan” personality came over to us as being not appropriate.
  • The Party Monarch Finals on the East Coast should have been canceled. Some novel way of splitting the prize money among on the performers could have been done. BU is abolutely sure that patrons would have understood. People in and out of Barbados would have understood.

BU will develop these points at the appropriate time.

 

 

41 responses to “Bus Crashes In St.Joseph Intransit To The Party Monarch Finals Held At The East Coast~A Time For National Mourning”

  1. Ian Bourne Avatar
    Ian Bourne

    Dale Marshall had to make an appearance whether he wanted to or not – if he didn’t, Bajans would imply all he CARES about is votes and as for cancelling Party Monarch, I don’t think so – this wasn’t 9-11 for God’s sake, it was an accident not a manufactured tragedy

  2. Ian Bourne Avatar
    Ian Bourne

    Nation News has all its stories online focussed on the event today

    A good way to sell papers, you think? Read Nation Story

    David

  3. David Avatar
    David

    AB~we are not questioning his quick appearance on the scene but his utterances which were not appropriate in the circumstances. In fact his utterances were elevated to national disaster status. The other point is we are a small country and a tragedy though small compared to 9/11 in casualties was enormous for Barbados. But we are not surprise “economic” drive all decisions in our world today. So Barbados we can jump on the band wagon as well.

    Who cares?

  4. Avatar
    Anonymous

    David

    I agree with you re Dale Marshall’s utterances – a little too much and while I am sure like every one else he would have been shocked by the incident – his actions seemed a little too opportunistic to me.

    There was no role for the parlimentary representative there – other than a bystander – the crash didnot involve his constituents,he is not a medical doctor -so he could play no medical role – and indeed all the necessary personnel were already on hand giving yeoman service.

    Enough already man.

    We can read through the lines you know – and know when something is over the top.

  5. Sandra Avatar
    Sandra

    Ian, I agree with you that the event shouldn’t have been cancelled. I’m sure a major deciding factor was the logistics of moving 15,000 people out of East Coast at a time when efforts needed to be focused on the mass casualty situation. Adding 15,000 people would have only muddied the waters and created more chaos.

  6. David Avatar
    David

    Sandra~we understand your point and we just read in the Nation that the Police advised against it. According to the report the decision to cancel was only averted because of the logistics of transportation. The disrespect shown by many members of the audience when MC Simmins asked for a moment of silence with their continuous chatter is also worthy of discussion. It is our view reflects a downward slide which is rapidly reaching the point of no return.

  7. nath Avatar
    nath

    Cancelling would have been VERY stupid. Logistically it would have been chaos. Anyone knwoing barbados knows that there are but two rodas leading out from the east coast. In addition there were already people drunk and partying by that time… dont you think that the police were busy enough!

    Dale Marshall of cousre should havebeen there. i dont know what he said but it was importnat that he showed up

  8. David Avatar
    David

    We have already conceeded that cancelling in our books would have been the correct thing to do BUT the logistics of doing so made it difficult.

    The other point which we expect to be fully addressed by the authorites is the possibility of negligence. It was reported on TV by a survivor on the bus that there was an obvious problem with the brakes on the bus. To trvel down Horse Hill given this uncertainty is…we will wait for the report.

  9. Global Voices Online » Barbados: Nation Grieves for Bus Crash Victims

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  10. Ian Bourne Avatar
    Ian Bourne

    The majority of ppl on board were from Lucky Horseshoe, many of them are on the B wards at QEH, so I did know one of the staff members but she is no longer with us, wow. This is so sad and strange…

  11. Requiem « Notes From The Margin

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  12. David Avatar
    David

    Sixth person has now been indentified, a BNB employee. BU like AB find the whole thing surreal 🙁

  13. The Owl Avatar
    The Owl

    I too would like to express my sympathy to those who lost loved ones in the horrific bus crash of yesterday.

    May your loss and grief soon be softened by time and the wonderful memories you have of them.

    To those that have loved ones recovering from injuries as a result of the accident I hope they all make a speedy and full recovery.

    In events like this there are more questions than answers and so to the believers put your sorrow and despair in the hands of God.

  14. This Island Avatar
    This Island

    CONDITIONS OF THE ROADS IN THAT AREA
    I am from St. Joseph and while I do not know what triggered this accident I do know that many cars run off on the winding turns just before you get to the building this bus ran into. Additioanlly may vehicles also run into this building. We need some kind of buffer especailly as the road turns sharply and if you dont manage the turn you go straight into the building. The road on the previous turns is also usually slippery from what seems to be an underground stream. If Mr. Dale Marshall would look into what can be done I am sure it would be appreciated by many. I especially worry for those who dont know to expect a slippery road there even when it is not raining. Also about 3 turns before a telephone post has been placed right where cars usually run off and I am sure someone will run off and kill them self on this post -please Mr. Marshall can you see about having this post relocated also?

    Can someone please tell me how I can contact Mr. Dale Marshal

  15. Wishing in Vain Avatar
    Wishing in Vain

    You can find him by the Waterfront Cafe by his yacht most evenings.

  16. The Owl Avatar
    The Owl

    As sad and tragic as this accident is, I do not believe it equalled the loss of life sustained in the accident about 60 or so years ago that occurred to casava pickers I believe who were travelling in a lorry. And it broke through the barricade of an infamous gully down I think around Lancaster and killed I dont remember now how many workers. That too was a sad day for Barbados and occurred when there was a lot less traffic.

  17. Joie Avatar
    Joie

    Our sympathy goes out to the families and friends of those who have lost their lives in
    this accident.

    It is time the government of Barbados start spending some money in the rural areas of Barbados. There is lots of infrastructural changes going on along the coast of the island. However, when you go into the interior there is overgrown vegetation and poor road conditions.
    The people of Barbados need to pressure their representative and the government on a whole to focus on safe roads for the sake of the people not only tourists.

    Regardless, Barbadians are strong people and God has a way of surrounding them in such times.

  18. sad day Avatar
    sad day

    This was a horrific incident. I heard about it earlier.and hoped that I did not know anyone..and prayed for families of the lost ones and injured. I found out later that hope was in vain. I knew the girl lori that died. She was not 31 as the nation misprinted..but a mere 22. May God look upon all of their families and help them through this incredibly difficult time. If what I heard is also correct about the crowd not wanting to be silent for a momeny..SHAME on them.

  19. Warrior Avatar
    Warrior

    I have my comments, some, a little to strong for the readers of this blog, so I will only give the ones with less intensity.

    First my condolences to the grieving families of those who have died in this crash. Also my prayer of strength of those families who are waiting and praying that their love ones in critical condition make it through.

    As a Nation we have slip-slided into some sort of oblivion as to what is really going on around us everyday.

    When I saw Mr. Marshall walking up hill to the cameras (notice that I did not say to the accident scene) it brought to mind the image of a tom-cat , always licking himself in the mid-day sun. It is unconscionable to try to get political mileage out of a tragic situation such as this, he should have had no time for the cameras. But…..

    The Party Monarch thing went on as if nothing had happened, the incident did not put a damper on the day or even bring it to a low key. Commerce, buying and selling, wukking on and getting wuk pon, doing and bad and misbehaving set the tone for the day. Not the loss of 6 Barbadians who paid their $100.00 to their deaths. Is it that the sponsors money mean more to us than the lives.

    That “moment” of silence did nothing to bring the ppl to the understanding that our friends, brother, sisters, aunts, grannies, had perished in the worst possible way. The ppl did not stop talking because they knew that the show would go on regardless and they viewed it as a minor house-keeping note, similar to if they had announced that someone had left their car windows down.

    I want ppl to pause and keenly observe that for the past 3/4 years blood is being spilled for this so-called “festival to go on. All this thing has been reduced to is a month-long orgy of the most abase nature. But who cares, we can’t tell ppl how to live their lives anyhow. Watch and see if some one will not die for the fore day morning thing.

    What has me sad that in the end these lives will go for naught, they will be a big furore and then someone will come upon the realization that the bus belong to somebody who know somebody or is somebody family and then the whole issue done.

    A whole lot of ppl dead and and a whole lot more brek up, perhaps even for life, and for what? Commerce.

  20. David Avatar
    David

    From a person on the spot it appears to people who were on the bus that a back tire blew. Along with the issue of the brakes being “iffy” and there being gear shifting problems it seems that this should not have been a bus worthy to supply public transportation. After the mourning we hope that a proper evaluation of the incident and the necessary safety mechanisms put in place.

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  22. Wishing in Vain Avatar
    Wishing in Vain

    While listening to Brass Tacks a short while ago and learnt that none of the private ambulance services were called or requested to make themselves available for this emergency this was stated by the managing director from one of the private services availble to the ministry of health this is quite mind boggling when you also heard from Dr Brian Charles that the last injured passenger was sent to the hospital well after 5.0 pm that evening.
    Surely if they had access to the services of a private ambulance service why were they not used to assist in getting the injured to the hospital in a more timely manner, as opposed to leaving them on the ground in the sun while awaiting transport to the hospital.
    Why have not heard a word from our loafer Jerome Walcott on this event?

  23. Sequoia Avatar
    Sequoia

    Greetings everyone,
    It’s on a sad and tragic note that we meet. I was extremely shocked when I heard about the accident and even more when I realised that Adrian had died such a horrible death. My heart goes out to his family as well as to the families of all of the other victims and those injured or affected by this accident in any way. We are living in serious times which the bible describes as the last days. Sometimes accidents like these cause us to become reflective about the fragility of life. All of us owe our lives to the Creator who in his word promises that there will be a resurrection for the righteous and the unrighteous. That being said.. the living need to ensure that they are pleasing the creator. I am christian, and I believe that this incident could have occured with a bus load of christians. Despite the fact that the Party Monarch event is a haven for revelry and ungodly behaviour, it’s time we all take stock of our lives. It could be over in a fleeting moment.

  24. Wishing in Vain Avatar
    Wishing in Vain

    When one looks at the blp blog and not a single mention of sympathy to the families who loss loved ones or injured ones it is a sad case of inept behaviour on their part of callous ways and just downright do not care mentallity, they ought to be ashamed of their manner and style.

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  26. Avatar
    Anonymous

    i am very sorry to hear of my fellow barbadians that died and my sympathy go out to there family at this time , sad to say but it should have been the GG, CJ ALL the present prime minister, and all of his ministers of goverment who are robbing our country should have been in that bus and be in the morgue at q.e.h now it would be a good thing for our country, good ridance to bad rubbish

  27. Ian Bourne Avatar
    Ian Bourne

    That comment is not necessary, whether you genuinely feel that way or not – now is not the time nor place ESPECIALLY as I hear 3 more ppl died in St Peter 2day under similar circumstances?

  28. No - Name Avatar
    No – Name

    Apparently they were three children. The accident was between a min bus and a van…near BAKERS.

  29. Sad day Avatar
    Sad day

    My friend died on Sunday..but I have to say I agree with Ian..and Anonymous that comment was completely uncalled for, and it shames me that you are a fellow Barbadian to wish death upon others. Shame on ou.

  30. T.D. Allamby Avatar
    T.D. Allamby

    Get beyond it people say a lot of things that they really do not mean they say it in anger. We are all guilty of this.

    Having said that I think an apology by the commenter would be appropriate. As they say to err is human, we must be big enough to forgive!

  31. Avatar
    Anonymous

    The count is now up to 4 someone else died

  32. Avatar
    Anonymous

    sad,Ian, T.D ALLAMBY i am aware that there are bajans also but there are no good what so ever a bunck of users who only think about there pocket and to aloff and do not care about the poor man in the street this is a goverment that had the most money and up to know dont know what to do this is the late eric gairy all over again so i stand by what i say fellows but my sympathy goes out to the family of the four who die in st peter

  33. Global Voices Online » Barbados: Crop Over Marred by Crashes

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  34. Wishing in Vain Avatar
    Wishing in Vain

    Where is Dale Smiley Marshall in all of this furore ?
    Here again not a word to be heard from him, has he loss his voice or does he have to wait to hear from Owing to hear what he can say, if this is the case we have a useless minister with no voice or say.
    Well done Owing keep them like lapdogs.
    Same as he has done to Atherley he cannot say boo unless Owing oks him saying anything.
    Lets cast our minds back to the issue with the Chinese not one ounce of action was taken in Owings abscence, but on his return the idiot Atherley is expounding his nonsense,
    What the general public needs to know is what Owing offered to the Chinese in exchange for their funding rumor has it that he offered an easy passage to their workers and with it he approved Pemberton’s request for hiring 600 Chinese workers for a one off settlement to their bank account ie Nicholls / Arthur’s account.
    What Owing failed to come to grips with is that in allowing this nonsense to happen it put a tremendous strain on the rest of the local work force and by extenstion gave Pemberton an unfair advantage in his constuction project just consider for a moment Pemberton employing this group of workers and not have to pay half the normal expenses to them like NIS, Health or any other of the charges, all other contractors would have to pay locally hired workers,
    Can the PM be right in his mind to permit this level of inept management ? is he loosing it ? Has he gone soft in the head ?
    Based on the above and other actions of late I am convinced he has strayed away from good common sense and caring about anything or anyone.
    Or maybe he has missed his appointments recently and needs some shock treatment quickly.

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  36. Avatar
    Anonymous

    Having been a part of the tragedy that Sunday, it has just annoyed me how people who were not there have so much to spout about what happened and what should have been done. No one expected that bus not to make it to the east coast and to be truthful it could have been anyone of us going there that could have been involved. I was on that bus and for some reason I got off at the last minute and got on the last bus to leave the Gymnasium. My friend got on in my place and we agreed to meet each other on the coast that did not happen. I knew intimately almost everyone on that bus and had some kind of interaction with them even the driver of the bus. So for holier than though people to just shoot off their mouths about things they don’t know because they heard it through the grapevine or read it in a newspaper that probably got it wrong anyway really bites me in the you know what. I can tell you that a number of people involved in that tagedy either directly from having been a victim or having ben a responder and indirectly from having been a relative or close friend of the victims have been affected in such a way that many persons have been changed. There are some persons who up to this point have not been able to talk about the events of that Sunday and for good reason it hurts. All the minutes of Silence, all the My condolences in the world can’t change what has happened. A little consideration however for the victims and by extentin those who have been affected directly and indirectly will go a long way to making the tragedy a little easier to bear and the healing to happen.

  37. David Avatar
    David

    Thank you for sharing what must still be an emotional experience and express our deep condolences at the grief you must still be feeling at your loss.

    You are correct that almost any Barbadian we come into contact has comfirmed some relationship to someone on the bus. It is a national tragedy and we are not sure it has been fully recognized as such.

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  39. ACIDMAN Avatar
    ACIDMAN

    Hi everyone,this is the first time i am commenting on this tragedy,i was one of the first responders on that day(was on standby @ east coast) and spent 5 hours extricating and conforting many passengers on that bus.I myself had to received assistance mentally.My heart goes out to the families and relatives of those who passed away and also injured,someday i will write an article about that experience,I have been to countless accidents,fires and rescues but nothing could have prepared me for this thank you.

  40. The Scout Avatar
    The Scout

    Thanks for being so brave, a true humanitarian service. Again Thank You

  41. Piece the Legend Avatar
    Piece the Legend

    De ole man guesses that this accident is “trending” so it is up front and centre.

    I knew on of those who died here Kenrick.

    I also know one of the occupants who survived AND WALKS WITH A LIMP 13 years later!

    13 years later!

    I grieve Kenrick’s loss and I grieve all the losses at this accident

    There is an item here written by Warrior that stuck out like a sore thumb WHICH HAPPENED AT THE DISASTROUS CAVE IN AT EYRIE COT and which I commented on.

    And which happens even today

    Warrior, WHEN SPEAKING OF TEETS MARSHALL, says and I quote

    “…When I saw Mr. Marshall walking up hill to the cameras (notice that I did not say to the accident scene) it brought to mind the image of a tom-cat , always licking himself in the mid-day sun.

    It is unconscionable to try to get political mileage out of a tragic situation such as this, he should have had no time for the cameras.

    But…..”

    Look at Warriors’s comment at 4.44pm and you will see the pattern of this man Teets Marshall

    This is my message to the PdP.

    You need to identify the Seats in the Mugabe BLP which ARE WEAK BECAUSE OF THE PEOPLE WHO SIT IN THEM.

    I Piece the Legend HAVE SPOKEN

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