ST ELIZABETH, Jamaica — Two schoolchildren remain hospitalised, with one being admitted at a Corporate Area facility and a third child was treated and released after a boulder fell on them while they were walking to school along a train track in Breadnut Walk in north-western St Elizabeth Friday morning.

Residents say the two badly injured children, ages nine  and 10 were among the trio walking to Merry Wood Primary along the train tracks when tragedy struck.

The route along the train tracks is used by residents of Breadnut Walk and Merry Wood to get to and from their homes as the community roads there are in a deplorable state.

According to Breadnut Walk resident Daisy Gordon, people from the adjoining districts like Merry Wood and Ipswich use the train track.

“I am a senior citizen, and I have always been concerned about the schoolchildren having to leave from Breadnut Walk going to Holland Village to school. There is no basic school [in their community]. They have to walk on the train line. We need the road to be sorted out for Merry Wood to Breadnut Walk. The road has become a tunnel like it is going to collapse. We need our road [to be fixed]. There are a lot of people who live in Breadnut Walk…” she said.

“The road turn bush, it is just a donkey track,” she added.

Another resident, Omar Smith, said he and others had to walk for over a mile to access transportation to take the injured children to hospital.

“Is three children got hurt. Everybody is mournful. When I came and saw the little girl, it was bad,” he said.

Councillor Clinton Samuels (Jamaica Labour Party, Ipswich division) said walking along the train track is a shorter route for residents versus the 3.6-kilometre journey on the community road.

“To come through this area [train track] is just over one kilometre and then the road is bad. Vehicles won’t traverse on the road, so residents find it easier to walk here. It is not just now, is a long time people walk this area to reach Merry Wood,” he shared.

— Kasey Williams