Three days after the Coqeloa horrific van accident Shrish Chand still can’t believe the victims are still alive.

The Coqeloa canecutter, who lives about half-a-mile from the crash site was at home at around 2pm when he and his family heard a loud bang from his front porch.

He said he felt pity for the victims Anaseini Curuivalu, Usebia Musuqawa and Rosa Tunabuna.

They were the three final year students of India Sanmarga Ikya (TISI) Sangam Nursing School, who were returning to Coqeloa Nursing Station where they were based for their rural attachment.

The van they were in veered off the road and crashed at Coqeloa, just outside Labasa on Tuesday.

“We were sitting at home having a short break at around 2pm when we saw the van go past then suddenly we heard loud bang,” Mr Chand said.

“My friend was on his way up our driveway when he shouted that the van had just crashed.

“We all came running to the site. When we arrived a few people were already there and one of the girls (MS Musuqawa) was transported to the Labasa Hospital by a van driver who was passing by.

“One of the girls (Ms Tunabuna) was lying next to the van with her leg broken so I came around to check if there was anyone else that’s when I saw the third girl inside the culvert.

“I started calling out that another student (Ms Curuivalu) is here when her husband came and we helped carry her out from there and transported her and the second girl with the broken leg to the hospital.

“I still can’t believe they are still alive because they were thrown out of the vehicle and were covered in blood.”

Ms Curuivalu, who was eight months pregnant, had her baby delivered safely by emergency Caesarean Section while Ms Musuqawa, who was five months pregnant, lost her baby. She is the most serious of three and is admitted in the Intensive Care Unit in a stable condition.

Ms Musuqawa was due for transfer to CWM Hospital yesterday but it was cancelled because of her condition.

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