PARIA diving tragedy survivor Christopher Boodram lamented the continued neglect of victims families, even as the Occupational Safety and Health Authority (OSHA) prosecuted three culprits and announced consultations for new diving regulations. He told Newsday on July 11 the families haD received no state help, even after a strong plea for no-fault compassionate assistance was made by Jerome Lynch, chairman of the commission of enquiry (CoE) into the tragedy.
San Fernando magistrate Alicia Chankar on July 10 held a virtual hearing at which OSHA's Insp Brisbane laid criminal charges against Paria’s general manager Mushtaq Mohammed and operations manager Colin Piper, plus Land and Marine and Construction Services (LMCS) head Kazim Ali Snr.
The charges were not read aloud owing to objections by the defendants' attorneys, but are expected to be read when the case resumes on September 11.
On February 25, 2022, five divers – Boodram, Kazim Ali Jr, Rishi Nagassar, Fyzal Kurban and Yusuf Henry – were repairing a 30-inch pipeline at Paria’s facility at Pointe-a-Pierre when they were sucked into it by a sudden change in water pressure called a delta p event. Only Boodram managed to get out alive.
The CoE report was delivered to President Christine Kangaloo on November 30, 2023, and laid in Parliament by Energy Minister Stuart Young on January 19, 2023.
The inquiry blamed Paria and LMCS for unsafe work procedures when the emptying of oil from the pipeline caused the delta p event. Paria came under scrutiny for blocking unofficial rescue efforts for the trapped men but argued they did not want more lives to be put at risk by allowing more divers into the pipe.
The report had recommended corporate manslaughter charges against Paria and LMCS.
In an advert send to media houses on July 11, OSHA announced a stakeholder consultation to create a policy for drafting commercial diving regulations, to be held on July 25 from 9 am-3 pm at the Radisson Hotel, Port of Spain.
Newsday sought reactions to the prosecution for violations of the Occupational Safety and Health (OSH) Act, contacting Boodram, Celisha Kurban (Kurban's widow) and Vanessa Kussie (Nagassar's widow.) Neither Celisha Kurban nor Vanessa Kussie had heard of the start of the prosecutions.
Kurban told Newsday, "I don't know anything."
Asked how things were going otherwise, she replied despondently, "Nothing is good. Nothing has improved.
"We are just hanging in there."
Kussie said, "No, I did not hear anything about it. This is news to me.
"I have no comment right now." Underneath her words, she let out a tearful sob.
Boodram told Newsday he had some faith in "getting justice" from the trial, but also lamented the lack of help for families.
"I am glad it has started. I also believe we should be able to get some of these people to be held accountable for what was done," he said, his voice world-weary.
"Everything they did, they are not remorseful – all of this that happened and how they treated the families.
"They are not remorseful. They mo
