3 dead as bus plunges into rain swollen creek

It may not officially be classified as part of the damage caused by hurricane Keith, but three people are dead tonight after a bus ran off the road and plunged into the rain-swollen waters of a creek in the Orange Walk District. Details are sketchy, but it is believed that the Venus bus was headed from Corozal to Belize City when it ran off the Northern Highway on a curve near mile 65. The area, known as Mamayal, has been the scene of a number of accidents. When the bus ran off the road, it hit a culvert, flipped over and wound up in the fast moving waters of the creek. Dead are passengers 30-year old Carmita Yascal of San Narciso and her 9 month old son, as well as 80-year old Anastacio Mai of San Jose Village. Most of the bus passengers received minor injuries and it was feared that additional people may have drowned in the creek. This has proved not to be the case, however, and search efforts were discontinued this afternoon. The driver of the bus, Giovanni Castaneda, received abrasions to his head and injuries to his feet and it is expected that on Thursday he will be charged with a number of offences.