Let’s not forget the tragedy that happened on 12 May 1975 at Rose Belle
“Le Mauricien”, 13 May 1975: “La plus grande tragédie de l’histoire de la circulation routière à Maurice – Un deuil national: 15 MORTS (DONT 10 ENFANTS), 6 BLESSÉS”
SURESH RAMPHUL
In 2021, 108 persons died in road accidents in Mauritius. In 2022 it was 107. Despite all the campaigns that are being run by the authorities, road accidents are still occurring. On Thursday 26 January 2023 a 17-year-old boy who was riding a motorcycle, hit a bus in Port Louis. Three days later he left this world. He was the only son of the family. A road accident, whether it causes death or permanent disabilities, is always traumatizing for the parents. 
From 1st January 2023 to 30th January 2023 we have had 8 fatal accidents. Not everyone is a reckless driver in Mauritius. We do have many who are conscious of their responsibilities. However, some people are careless. Some weeks ago I witnessed a shocking scene in the morning. An old man was crossing the road near the mosque in Rose Belle. He had reached the middle of the cross here. A motorcyclist was coming. Instead of stopping to allow the man to cross, he kept coming. Unmindful of the elderly, he rushed through the cross here, right in front of the man. A good motorcyclist should not be doing something as silly as this. Probably he wanted to prove that “Mwa ki mari!”
The younger generation may not know that on 12 May 1975 there was a horrifying road accident in Rose Belle. It’s a dark day in the history of this village because a lorry, driven at lightning speed, and with defective brakes, caused the death of 15 people, apart from seriously damaging two houses. I’m evoking this incident here in some detail to remind drivers what a catastrophic accident looks like. I hope it will be eye-opening.
“Une violence inouïe”
“Le Populaire” (Tuesday 13 May 1975) opened its report with, “Un accident de la route d’une violence inouïe, dépassant tout ce que l’imagination peut concevoir, et dans des circonstances exceptionnellement dramatiques, a fait 14 morts et 4 blessés, dont la plupart des enfants , à Rose Belle, hier. Tout le village de Rose Belle était en émoi.” It mentioned how the inhabitants had invaded the village. It added that the Principals and the Headmasters had done well not to allow students on the sinister spot. 
Vishnu Appadoo, 32, a teacher at Baramia Government School (known as Lékol Tifi) and which today is called Seegoolam Torul Government School, was on his way back to school at 12.30 p.m. approximately. Suddenly he found a lorry arriving at full speed from the north of the village. He was shocked. But he felt something was going to happen. The lorry collided with a car (AB 10) violently. Having lost control, it pursued its way, spreading the fertilizer it was transporting. It hit two girls on the pavement and a taxi. There were 5 people in it, including students. “Le taxi (F 177) est projeté avec une rare violence sur une distance de 30 mètres environ ‘kouma enn soukoup volant’”. It landed in the yard, after hitting against the house of Gabriel Souris.
The lorry also demolished the house of the Thomas family. Other people were killed. Onlookers were stupefied. It was a real nightmare. Volunteers gave a hand to help the victims who were “sous les amas de ferraille, de bois, de poutres et de tôles.” Just to give you an idea of the horrible scene, here are other details: “ici un crâne fracassé, là une cervelle pendue, là-bas un bras disloqué.”
“Le crâne était ouvert”
“Le Mauricien” (13 May 1975) quoted V. Appadoo as describing the fertilizer bags flying “kouma ser-volan”. The teacher could himself have been a victim had he left home two minutes earlier. In his own words, “C’était comme un champ de bataille. J’étais entouré de cadavres.” This newspaper gave a list of the 14 victims. One body could not be identified. Appadoo declared that “Certains étaient devenus à peine plus longs que mon avant-bras.” He told about a victim whose “crâne était ouvert. Je lui ai refermé le crâne”. Another witness talked of a child’s corpse projected in the yard of Mr. Souris. The latter held the child in his arms without knowing that it was his own niece, for the child was disfigured.
“Advance” (13 May 1975) wrote, “Le plus triste accident jamais survenu dans les annales du pays”. It reported that the lorry (AL 248) was pulling “une remorque chargée à ras bord de sacs de sels chimiques”. The first victim was 13-year-old Rahima Sooklall. She was going to follow a course in sewing at the community centre. The accident was “Plus meurtrier que Gervaise”.
The edition of “The Nation” described the moving scene at the morgue of Mahébourg Hospital: “Une jeune femme a le visage complètement écrasé, un petit garçon avec une plaie béante à l’abdomen, semble contempler le néant. Une autre femme, la partie inférieure du corps complètement mutilée contemple, la bouche ouverte, le plafond. Un autre jeune homme, dont les hanches sont complètement inexistantes, arbore un petit slip rouge maculé de sang.” The children who died lived in Rue Baramia. The accident was “unique et inexplicable”.
The 13 May 1975 report of “l’express” mentioned that “Le camion (AA 649) qui traînait sa remorque (AL 248) et sur lequel il y avait quatre ‘enflés’, aurait eu ses ‘freins percés’ dans les environs, à Union Park, localité où on aurait remarqué une accélération anormale.” According to the police the lorry was travelling at 80 mph.
A hole in your life
Losing a close member of your family in an accident leaves a hole in your life. The person was here yesterday or an hour ago. In the blink of an eye, he or she is no longer alive. It hits you like thunderbolt. Your life becomes empty, incomplete. You know that the grief will haunt you for a lifetime.
We do not want a repetition of 12 May 1975. A family may have an only child. Suddenly, a driver, due to speed, a mechanical defect, sheer carelessness or because he was feeling sleepy or because he was drunk or using his phone, runs over the innocent child. How do you make the parents understand that this pain too shall pass?
Road accidents are becoming too frequent in Mauritius. It may be because people do not learn from past experiences.