Zurrieq double-decker crash worse than Paqpaqli - paramedics
Paramedics often encounter horrific scenes when dealing with road accidents, but the macabre scene they found in Żurrieq on Monday shocked even the most experienced among them.
One top paramedic said the Żurrieq double-decker crash, which claimed the lives of two tourists and injured 50 others, was one of the worst he had ever seen – even worse than the Paqpaqli għall-Istrina crash.
On Monday evening, Health Minister Chris Fearne said that most of the serious injuries had been to the head and neck.
A 62-year-old Belgian man, named on Wednesday as Koen De Vrieze, and an unnamed 37-yearold Spanish woman lost their lives when the open-topped bus they were riding on hit a tree branch on Valletta Road, Żurrieq.
UK newspaper The Sun yesterday reported how a 15-year-old schoolgirl saved her uncle from choking on his own blood after the crash.
Office worker Simon Morrison, 43, suffered serious head injuries, a broken arm and eye damage but was saved by quick-thinking niece Kelsey Henderson, the newspaper reports.
His brother-in-law Michael Henderson (photo), 43, suffered a cracked rib, head injuries and hearing loss and his 39-year-old wife Suzie broke a wrist and two fingers.
Kelsey and her 18-year-old brother escaped serious injury but found themselves surrounded by casualties.
Michael Henderson’s 75-year-old mother Moira told The Sun: “The family are still very shaken up but have told me how awful it was. One of the people killed had their arm torn off and Kelsey had to save Simon from choking on his own blood.”
“An Italian woman on the bus knew first aid and told her to hold his head down and keep his mouth open to help him but there was blood everywhere and it must have been awful.”
“They’d only arrived the night before for a week’s holiday and said it happened very quickly and was very shocking.”
Taxi driver Michael said: “Simon is still critical and will be for a long time. His lungs are very weak an he has head injuries plus a broken arm.”
“I’m partially deaf now and we’re all terribly upset - we’ve no idea what happened because it was so sudden.”
Two British boys, aged six and eight, remain in hospital.
Belgian media outlets reported that Koen De Vrieze had been in Malta for a week when the accident took place. He was on holiday with his wife, Hilde. The woman was sitting next to her husband on the bus but was not injured.
The couple arrived in Malta on 3 April after having been delayed for a whole day at Brussels’ Charleroi airport.
“On Monday, the seventh day of their vacation, they boarded a red sightseeing bus. They took the stairs upstairs to view the area from the roof of the doubledecker,” Belgian news website HLN reported.
Koen De Vrieze retired last year. For years he had been one of the driving forces behind the Ghent Festivities.
A relative told news portal Tingo that the victim’s children were on their way to Malta to assist their mother.
“We are worried about her. Hilde was given psychological assistance in hospital. We are now awaiting permission to repatriate Koen’s body.”
De Vrieze leaves behind a son, two daughters and three grandchildren.