Overturned gas truck shuts down Gorge
(Jamaica Observer) Kingston, Jamaica – The Bog Walk Gorge in St Catherine remained closed up to press time last night as a crew worked feverishly to remove a trailer carrying liquid petroleum gas, which fell into the Rio Cobre River, yesterday morning.
Teams from the National Environmental and Planning Agency, the Jamaica Fire brigade, the Office of Disaster Preparedness and Emergency Management (ODPEM), the marine and traffic Police were up to late last night working to remove the truck from the river.
Police reports are that at about 2:00 am the truck, which was proceeding towards Spanish Town, failed to properly negotiate the corner on reaching Flat Bridge and plunged into the river.
The driver was rescued and taken to hospital where he remains in stable condition.
The accident resulted in the closure of the gorge to vehicular traffic for the entire day, forcing motorists to travel the alternate routes.
ODPEM yesterday advised motorists that the alternate routes for those travelling from Kingston to Bog Walk is via Red Hills through Santa Maria, Sligoville, while for those travelling from Spanish Town, the route is via Sligoville on to Bog Walk. “The alternate route for heavy units is via Barry as Sligoville is not suitable for articulated vehicles,” ODPEM said in a release.
