Employees of the Jamaica Urban Transit Company (JUTC) have been plunged into mourning following the passing of three of their own within a matter of hours.

Three male workers of the state-owned bus company passed away on Saturday in unrelated circumstances. The men have been identified as Adrian Marriott, Winston Malcolm and Glendon Clarke.

A co-worker of the men, who spoke to Observer Online under the condition of anonymity as he is not authorised to speak to the media, said Marriott and Malcolm died of natural causes while Clarke fell off a roof in a freak accident.

“Glendon drop off the roof, as me seh him drive the 308 bus pass me yard every morning. Him blow him horn and me always a tell him seh don’t wake up me wife when yah pass. So we always jovial when we see each other at the work or off the work,” the employee said.

He further shared that Marriott was shot two years ago, but had since returned to the job. However, he said the now-deceased was a diabetic.

“He died in the hospital. Him get shoot up one morning at the bus stop; waiting on the staff bus and a car pass and shoot him up. Anyway, him go inna the hospital and him recover but he was diabetic,” said the employee.

As for Malcolm, known affectionately as ‘Sleepy’, the co-worker said he passed away following an operation, adding that the deaths have cast gloom over JUTC staff.

“Sleepy was a driver, the manager’s brother. Him do an operation. I am off to work now and me don’t even feel the vibes to go ah work. But me a go and sit dung with the rest of staff them today,” the employee said, adding that the loss of his co-workers hit especially hard because they enjoyed a sense of camaraderie.

Observer Online reached out to the JUTC for comment, but the head of communications said that she could not immediately speak on the incidents.