By VINITHA VISWANATH
Published: 11th October 2006
EMBASSY officials are seeking action from police and labour officials, following a road accident in which three workers were killed.
Twenty-one others were injured in the head-on crash between a pick-up and a trailer truck on Hawar Road, Askar, on Sunday.
The men were being transported in a partially-covered pick-up to a worksite in Askar, when the accident happened.
Bangladeshi Ambassador Rahul Amin and Indian Ambassador Balkrishna Shetty visited BDF Hospital with other officials yesterday to see some of the injured.
Ten are still in BDF Hospital and another is recovering in Salmaniya Medical Complex.
By VINITHA VISWANATH
Published: 11th October 2006
EMBASSY officials are seeking action from police and labour officials, following a road accident in which three workers were killed.
Twenty-one others were injured in the head-on crash between a pick-up and a trailer truck on Hawar Road, Askar, on Sunday.
The men were being transported in a partially-covered pick-up to a worksite in Askar, when the accident happened.
Bangladeshi Ambassador Rahul Amin and Indian Ambassador Balkrishna Shetty visited BDF Hospital with other officials yesterday to see some of the injured.
Ten are still in BDF Hospital and another is recovering in Salmaniya Medical Complex.
Bangladesh Embassy First Secretary Shameem Al Mamun criticised the company for carrying workers in an open vehicle, which is illegal.
“We are really saddened to see the plight of the workers in the hospital,” he said.
“Agreed, the company is taking care and the hospital is doing its best, but at the end of the day the pain has to be borne by these poor workers, who already face a lot of hardship.”
Mr Shetty said he would be meeting senior traffic officials to seek ways to ensure the law is enforced and employers are stopped from transporting workers this way.
“These people come to earn their bread and I am sure that they are working very hard for the benefit of the companies. If the companies cannot give the minimum facilities to the workers, it is really bad,” said Mr Shetty.
“There are laws, but they have to be enforced. We will be meeting all the senior officials, be it from the traffic or the Labour Ministry, because this is the third accident of this kind in three weeks.
“There has to be a solution and we are sure that we will be able to bring about
some changes.”
He said that the embassy officials would be soon visiting the other workers who are resting in their accommodation in Sanad following the accident.
An investigation into the accident was still continuing and a traffic official, who asked to remain anonymous, said action would be taken against anyone found to be at fault.
“We are waiting for the investigation report to take the necessary action, but it will take time, since it was a major accident,” he told the GDN.
“It may take a day or two, and if needed, the case will be referred to the Labour Ministry.
“It is still too early to comment further on this topic since this is becoming a regular issue and we are in the process of planning strict action against such companies.”
The dead and injured were all employees of Sayed Al Khadhem Al Durazi Company.
The trailer lorry was overtaking a minibus near Alba when it was in collision with the pick-up, said police.
The men who died were Bangladeshi Mehboob Siddique, 28, and Indians Shankar Kammari, 33, and Sukumaran Odupara, 35.
Nobody in the minibus or the lorry was injured.
A company spokesman said it would do all it could for the injured and the families of the dead.
“Steps are being taken to repatriate the three bodies as soon as possible,” said the spokesman.
He said the company was waiting for approval from the families of the dead to repatriate the bodies.
Senior officials from the company had visited their workers in hospital yesterday, said the spokesman. Those who have been discharged were recuperating at their labour accommodation, he said.
Those injured in the accident included Thai, Nepali, Bahraini, Sri Lankan, Bangladeshi and Indian workers. Those still at BDF Hospital yesterday were Sri Lankan V M Subramaniam, 54; Indians Kumar Varadarajan, 33, Bhuta Ram, 43, and Balamurugan Raman, 27; and Bangladeshis Faizuddin Yusif, 43, Ripon Muhammed, 27, Giasuddin Mohammed, 32, Arman Hossain, 26, Abdul Hossain, 31 and Mohammed Salim, 44.
Still at the SMC ICU was Gyaradi Gangadhar, 36, from India.
© Gulf Daily News
http://www.gulf-daily-news.com/story.asp?Article=158394&Sn=BNEW&IssueID=29205