Diaspora in the UK is mourning the death of 8 Indians- six men and two women, who died in the horrific M1 crash on early hours of Saturday (26 August). Four others – including a 5-year-old girl – were critically injured and are receiving treatment in hospital. The death toll was the highest on a British motorway since November 1993, when 12 children and their teacher died after a crash on the M40.
The bank holiday crash involved a 16 seater minibus sandwiched between two trucks, driving towards the same direction at Newport Pagnell in Buckinghamshire. The minibus had 11 Indian passengers (and one driver) driving from Nottingham to the Star Tours' Wembley office, where these passengers were due to start an Europe coach tour for 6 days including France (Paris), Belgium, Switzerland and Germany. However the minibus that was carrying these passengers to Wembley, did not belong to Star Tours and was owned by the driver Cyriac Joseph, also of Indian origin, who had lived in the UK for 15 years. He was believed to be of Malayali descent, and was originally from Pala in Kottayam district, in Kerala, South India. He is survived by his wife, who is a nurse and two children. The passengers, who were visiting from India with their families, worked for the IT contracting company Wipro at the Nottingham office of the credit card provider Capital One.
Three dead victims named by Wipro on Sunday were Karthikeyan Ramasubramaniyam Pugalur, Rishi Rajeev Kumar (originally from Chingavanam, in Kerala, India)and Vivek Bhaskaran. Another of their employee Manoranjan Panneerselvam from Kanchipuram, Tamil Nadu and wife Sangeetha remain in critical condition, though sources reveal they are out of danger now. But Panneerselvam’s father- A Panneerselvam, aunt Tamilmani and uncle Arachelvan Arunachalam also died in the crash.
A spokeswoman for Wipro said their colleagues were praying for Panneerselvam’s recovery. “Our thoughts and prayers are with the families of all those who lost their lives in this tragedy.”
A 5 year old girl also remains critical condition, but learnt to be now out of danger in Birmingham University Hospital. One of the three dead is believed to have been her father, whose mother was also killed. The mother has not yet been named.
Sources exclusive to Asian Voice reveal that, Wipro has organised for the victims' families from India to travel to the UK, including arranging for their visas. Though they were meant to arrive on Tuesday, some were still awaiting visa clearance, as we went to press, and were due to arrive on Wednesday. The repatriation of 7 people will be done next week on Tuesday or Wednesday and may cost upto £25,000.
Jacob Ravibalan of World Tamil Organisation told Asian Voice in an exclusive interview, “I have been involved in 36 such cases, where we have helped the victims’ families in repatriation of the bodies. This time, we are not directly organising anything, as Wipro has proactively taken charge of everything. However, I am working closely with Wipro UK, Mrs Beena Rao (HR Executive, Wipro capital Management, London) and Mr A S Rajan, from High Commission of India and I am also the point of contact for the families, if they need any help when in the UK. Over the last days I have received more than 25 calls, including from the victims’ extended families. If anyone needs to reach out to me, I am available on 07903635438.”
A source from the High Commission of India told the newsweekly, “We are providing with all sorts of assistance, and are in touch with the victims' families.”
Hemang Shah, Director of the Star Tours company, told Asian Voice exclusively, “We are extremely saddened by this incident. Our heart goes out to the families who have lost their lives. On Saturday morning the trip was starting from outside our office in Wembley, and these 11 passengers were asked to report by 5:30am. When we were about start our tour, we realised some passengers were missing. We tried to contact them and eventually next to their kin, but couple of them were in India, so they had no idea. Therefore we thought that they may join for our evening tour leaving for Europe, and may be held up somewhere else. In some time we heard about the M1 crash, but only realised it involved these 11 passengers around Saturday noon. We also provide pick up services from passengers joining our tour in London from Nottingham, but the minibus that suffered this fateful crash wasn't one of ours. It was hired privately.
“Our India office is in touch with the victims' family and we are also in contact with Wipro's Human Resources team in the UK, and helping everyone in any possible way to transfer the bodies to India.”
Tributes paid to the deceased Minibus driver
The driver of a minibus has been named as father-of-two Cyriac Joseph. The bus was operated by ABC Travels – run by Joseph himself since 2008.
Joseph, 52, who moved to uk 15 years back. A devout Catholic and regular Church goer, was described by friends as a “lovely and generous”. Just two days before the incident, had been celebrating his daughter’s 12 A and A* grades in her GCSE exam.
Joseph was from Pala region of Kottayam district in Kerala, and relatives said his family were completely shattered by the accident. Wife Ancy, 52, is a cardiac unit nurse at Nottingham City Hospital. Indian-born Mr Joseph, more popularly known as Benny – and Ancy have two children, university student Benson, 20, and Benitea, 16, who just passed her GCSE with flying colours. ABC Travels was named after the initials of each of the family’s first names.
Soyimon, 49, described Benny as his best friend and said he last saw him at 10pm on Friday just five hours before the tragedy.
On Facebook, Soyimon Joseph paid tribute to his friend Cyriac, saying he had seen him the night before the crash. “Hearty condolences. I never thought yesterday [at] 10 pm you say thank you to me it was our last meeting. We will meet again in heaven,” he wrote, adding that his heart was broken by news of the death.
“It is devastating,” he told a newspaper. “He and Ancy celebrated their 20th wedding anniversary last year. Benny is the perfect driver. He would only use the slow lane or the second lane and he had an alarm in his 16-seat minibus that would go off if he went over 60mph.”
There was a Mass held on Sunday at St. Paul's Catholic Church on Lenton Boulevard. Speaking outside the family home before the church service, Joseph's bereaved son Benson Joseph said his father had booked the job to take the family visiting from India down to London. Benson said he missed his father 'so much' already as he heartbreakingly revealed he and his mother and sister had only just returned from holiday, and did not get to meet Benny before he left for London with his clients.
Father Biju Joseph, who performed the mass said: “It’s so sad and we’re praying to God for his soul and his family. People are really shocked. He was such a good friend; he was like a brother to me.”
Benny's neighbour Hana Adam reportedly told of her “utter shock” over the accident and described her friend as “just a generous guy”.
A close friend, Manu Zacharia, said he picked up the clients close to his home at 1am before setting of on the journey to London. Joseph who had studied Botany in India, had been running his taxi business for four years after working for supermarket chains Morrisons and Asda, and would regularly make long distance trips.
Zacharia told the Mail on Sunday, "He was my best friend and always there when you needed him. He was a good singer and a sports enthusiast. He loved volleyball.
'He encouraged everyone to write out own magazine and even start our own radio programme for a time.”
Police say they are in touch with families living abroad. Chief Inspector Henry Parsons from the Joint Operations Unit for Roads Policing, said: 'Our thoughts are very much with the families of those involved in (yesterday's) collision, and we are currently working to locate and inform their next of kin.'
Who were the truck drivers?
The two trucks involved in the crash were one from FedEx and the other from AIM logistics. Thames Valley Police said the drivers of the two trucks, were arrested on suspicion of causing death by dangerous driving. One of the men was also suspected of driving over the alcohol limit. The drivers are named as Ryszard Masierak and David Wagstaf.
Masierak, a Polish national of Barnards Close, Evesham, Worcestershire, is charged with eight counts of causing death by careless driving while allegedly over the prescribed alcohol limit. The charge accuses him of giving a reading of 55mg of alcohol per 100ml of breath. The legal limit for driving is 35mg. Masierak will next appear at Aylesbury Crown Court on 26 September. He believed to have broken down in court as he faced charges over the horror crash.
Wagstaff, 53, of Derwent Street, Stoke-on-Trent, has also been charged over the crash. He is accused of eight counts of causing death by dangerous driving and four counts of causing serious injury by dangerous driving, and is due to appear at Milton Keynes Magistrates' Court on 11 September.
What passerbys witnessed
A passerby who stopped his taxi to help passengers in the stricken minibus on the M1 described the scene as a 'warzone', with a 16 seater minibus left totally flattened. The four injured and surviving were believed to have serious or life-threatening injuries. Fire crew and medics battled for an hour to free the youngster as the bodies of victims lay around .
One motorist who passed the scene on the opposite carriageway described the crash on Twitter as “the most horrific I have ever seen”.
Brett Smith, who passed the scene in a taxi before the emergency services arrived and stopped to help the 5 year old girl, said: "A family has been destroyed. I held a little girl by her arms, trapped inside a vehicle, for a good hour or so with the emergency services and the fire service trying to help.
"I walked home with a blanket that the ambulance service provided me to stay warm because the little girl has got my jacket to keep herself safe. The fire and ambulances services did a really good job."
The southbound carriageway of the M1 was closed for 10 hours. Thousands of motorists travelling for the Bank Holiday weekend – including rugby league fans from Wigan and Hull heading to the Ladbrokes Challenge Cup Final at Wembley – were caught up in traffic gridlock. Some trippers even missed flight connections as backlogs of two hours built up.
Chief Inspector Henry Parsons, added: “Officers are working to inform next of kin of the people who died and specially-trained family liaison officers will be offering them their support.
“This collision was deeply distressing for the members of the public who witnessed it, along with the emergency service workers who attended and displayed high levels of professionalism.”
A spokesman for Buckinghamshire Fire and Rescue Service said dozens of emergency workers attended the scene and added: “Firefighters used hydraulic rescue equipment to release three people, who were taken to hospital with a fourth person.”
Ismail Elmagdoub, director of AIM Logistics, said: “Road safety and compliance is of the utmost importance to AIM and we are continuing to assist the police as much as possible with their inquiries.”
