Mayaguanans are blaming the April 4th plane crash on years of government neglect. Witness told how they were forced to stand by horrified but helpless as three of their neighbours burned. There is no fire engine on the island, the airport’s extinguishers did not work and no source of water nearby.
They told how they watched the airplane make a risky midnight landing on an unlit, severely damaged runway, clipping one car then colliding with another. The landing was attempted to pick up Rev Robert Black who needed emergency medical care.
According to an article in The Tribune the second vehicle, in which the mother, sister and brother-in-law of former MP Sidney Collie sat, burst into flames. Dying in the explosion were Mrs Edith Collie, Mrs Enamay Polowick and her Canadian husband, Tim Polowick.
“People are pissed off, we are angry because of the runway,” said Mayaguana Administrator Anton Moss.
The Tribune article reported: Mr Moss, who said he inherited the shabby runway when he became administrator, explained that because of the problem, Bahamasair has actually stopped flying to the island. Instead, the government organised charter flights with LeAir Charter Service, which owns the Cessna C402 that crashed yesterday.
According to eyewitness Audrey Charlton blamed successive governments for all aspects of the disaster – the state of the runway, the lack of a local fire department, the broken fire extinguishers.
Minister of Transport and Aviation Glenys Hanna-Martin has promised that the government will address the issues at Mayaguana’s airport.
Source: The Tribune
Caption: Minister of Transport and Aviation Glenys Hanna-Martin inspects the burned vehicle. Photo: Chester Robards/Tribune Staff
