Barbados: 35 injured in bus crash

Barbados, CMC – At least 35 people were reported injured when a minibus overturned late Thursday, in the second accident this week involving privately owned public transport, said media reports.



Dozens of people were taken to hospital in what authorities termed a “mass casualty” incident, triggering a full-scale first response involving paramedics, police and military personnel to rescue survivors, control crowds and restrict media access.



Police officials said there were no fatalities, while 31 people are injured, with eight being transported to the lone general Queen Elizabeth Hospital, and 18 people were still to be reached.



However, most media reports said 35 people were hurt.



On Tuesday, a privately owned route taxi, more popular known by the ‘ZR’ registration, struck and killed a pedestrian, a 44-year-old father of one, on the outskirts of the capital, Bridgetown.



Traffic accidents are frequent and occasionally fatal among the privately controlled public minibuses and minivans.



Passengers favour the private concessionaires over the scheduled bus service run by the state-owned Transport Board. The profit-driven, privately-owned vehicles often speed through their routes and pick up and set down passengers at will.