Three men from Penal burnt to death early Thursday morning when a ten-tonne truck exploded after crashing into the Bailey bridge along the Churchill Roosevelt Highway in Macoya.
Businessman Rohan “Bobby” Maharaj, 36, Kishore Kumar, 30, and Anil Mohammed, 30, died in the burning truck. The impact crumpled a section of the rail of the temporary bridge. Reports say firefighters arrived within minutes but by the time they put out the blaze the men's bodies were burned beyond recognition.
The ministry of workers erected the Bailey bridge as a temporary structure about one year ago when heavy rains washed out the foundation of the existing bridge. The government is building a new bridge costing $25 million dollars and officials say it would be completed next month.
Critics have blamed the minister of works for the deaths of the three men. It is not the first time that negligence by the government has resulted in death, they say.
A similar Bailey Bridge over the Caroni river collpased last year, killing one man when the truck he was driving went into the river as the bridge collapsed.
The temporary dual lane bridge where the three men died Thursday is on the country's busiest highway connecting communities in the east with the capital, Port of Spain, and south Trinidad.
MP Jack Warner who uses that highway for his daily commute was furious and put the blame on the works ministry. He noted that the government should never have put this structure on a highway that handles such a high volume of traffic.
He said it was an accident waiting to happen as thousands pass on the bridge daily. The Chagunas MP also slammed the minister of works for not making this project a priority. A new bridge should have been in place months ago, he said.
"With expenditure of $25 million one would expect this project to be completed within weeks, yet one year later people are dying because of the government's incom,ptence" he said. He added that the delay in completing the project is typical of the government, which has its prioirities misplaced.
He noted that government could spend $2 million to put up a single flag to boost the ego of one man and spend untold amounts of money to expand the prime minister's palatial residence while it refuses to put more resources to complete the bridge and ensure that citizens are safe.
Warner said the minister of works has blood on his hands.
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