Karatu survivors fly to US tomorrow as school owner faces the music

DAILY NEWS Reporters in Arusha

Lucky Vincent Primary School

AS three survivors of Lucky Vincent Primary School bus accident which claimed 35 lives, last weekend, are scheduled to be airlifted to Iowa, US tomorrow, the school owner, Mr Innocent Moshi has been dragged to court.

The plane which will transport the three injured children is expected to land at Kilimanjaro International Airport (KIA) today (Saturday) evening.

The Singida North Member of Parliament (MP - CCM), Mr Lazaro Nyalandu, who is coordinating the transfer of the three pupils from Mount Meru Hospital to Iowa State, said they have managed to secure a DC 8 plane from ‘Samaritan Purse,’ an organisation run by the family of a famous Gospel Preacher, Billy Graham.

The DC 8 Plane flew from the North Carolina airbase on Friday and lands at KIA this evening.

The large aircraft will feature a section of adjusted bunkers to support the badly injured pupils. The three pupils who have been referred to the US for treatment include Doreen Mshana aged 13, from Olasiti area; Sadia Ismail Awadh aged 11 and Wilson Geoffrey Tarimo (11) both from Kwa-Mrombo.

They will be accompanied by their respective parents (mothers), a surgeon from Mount Meru Hospital, Dr Elias Mashalla and a medical attendant, Simphorosa Silalye.

The team will thus comprise eight people, travelling from KIA heading for the United States. Medical practitioners working with the Siouxland Tanzania Educational Medical Ministries (STEMM) are the ones who took upon themselves to airlift the three pupils from Mount Meru Hospital in Arusha, for referral treatment in the United States of America.

It happens that, when the accident occurred at Rhotia Hill, last Saturday morning, the foreign doctors led by Dr Steve Meyer, who were on their way from Ngorongoro were the first to arrive at the scene of the crash in Karatu and helped to rescue the victims.

Later, they ensured that survivors got advanced treatment abroad. Now, upon landing in North Carolina, the children will be airlifted by an Air-Ambulance from the STEMM organisation to Sioux City, in Iowa State, where they are to be admitted to Mercy System Hospital

Meanwhile, the Arusha Regional Commissioner (RC), Mr Mrisho Gambo, has revealed that the contributions towards the Lucky Vincent School Bus Crash’s accident victims has reached 215 million/-. Each of the families of the 32 dead pupils was given 3.85 million/- from the raised cash, totalling to 128 million/-.

Other expenses include funeral, transportation and burial costs, therefore over 190 million/- has been used so far.

On the other hand, Mr Innocent Mushi, who is also the Director of Olasiti Company Limited was yesterday brought before Arusha Magistrate Court alongside the Deputy School Head, Mr Longino Vincent to answer five charges in connection with the disaster.

Resident Magistrate Desidery Kamugisha presided over the criminal case in the suit whose charges were read in the chamber by Public Prosecutor, Ms Rose Sule.

It was stated at the Resident Magistrate’s Court that on the 6th of May 2017, the school owner and head of the institution, permitted an unlicensed driver to take the bus full of children to a trip from Arusha to Karatu, where the pupils were to sit for mock exams.

The Prosecutor also charged that, the school management allowed the Mitsubishi Rosa Bus with plate numbers T-871 BYS, to depart from Arusha, with 38 passengers, which means an excess of 13 people aboard, in addition to letting the car ride without a valid road licence.

The two were also accused of coordinating the journey, using the said driver, who did not have an official working contract with the school management. The accused denied the charges and have been released on 15 million/- bond each, with two sureties.