Minister orders probe into Praslin bus accident |30 June 2010
The students from Grand Anse Praslin secondary school were hurt when a bus taking them to Baie Ste Anne overturned.
Most of them were taken to Victoria hospital for treatment and four were admitted to the intensive care unit. Two of these four were eventually flown to Abu Dhabi for specialist treatment at the expense of the United Arab Emirates’ government, which offered an air ambulance and treatment free of charge.
Mr Morgan – who is also Minister for Home Affairs and Environment – said the efficiency of the disaster management unit, which falls under his portfolio, will be examined to see if the response to future disasters could be better.
He commended all those who reacted after the accident, saying they did well, though certain things could possibly have been done better had there been better planning and coordination.
With the involvement of more agencies, for example helicopter operators, the most critically injured patients could have been flown directly to Mahe rather than being taken to the Amitié airport and flown to Seychelles International Airport first, although Air Seychelles planes could still have been deployed.
Meanwhile, the board and management of the Praslin Transport Company (PTC) has issued a statement thanking all those who helped in one way or another at the scene of the accident and later.
The PTC welcomes the launch of the inquiry by Minister Morgan and will consider its findings carefully. The report will be made available to the public in due course, it added.
The company said it would like to reassure the public that all PTC buses are kept in good roadworthy condition.
The board and management again express their deep sympathy to all the injured children and their families, and pledge their support to all the accident victims.