Victims Of Powerty

The accident took place at the railroad crossing in the vicinity of Kosovo Polje, when a train hit a bus of the Kosovo Electrical Company. The authorities are still investigating the causes of the accident. The bus was allegedly in working order and registered, but no trace of braking is visible. Therefore, it is believed that the accident was caused by human error. On the other hand, the authorities have not failed to start laying blame on each other. There is a sign of warning at the crossing, but there is no ramp, which is obligatory. Zarko Katic, the Serbian Minister of Traffic and Communication, claims that the crossing meets all safety requirements, while the Manager of the Kosovo Electrical Company reminds that the authorities have violated the law by not placing a ramp at the crossing. Is the newly founded municipality of Kosovo Polje responsible, or, perhaps, someone else?

That's the end of the story. According to unwritten rules, no one will be held responsible for ignoring the problem concerning the safety of railroad crossings for years. As if someone wanted to hush up the fact that there were twice as many people on the bus, than is its capacity. The first bus never arrived, and the second one which took all miners who worked the first shift was delayed long enough to reach the crossing at the same time as the train. Company officials have not explained the reason for the changes in the `time table': if the lack of fuel is the reason, there is a question as to why another solution wasn't found; if the vehicle was out of order, another one could have been provided; if the driver overslept,... There are numerous questions but there are no answers whatsoever.

Unfortunately, this tragedy has also provoked inter-ethnic accusations. One side accused the killed driver, who was Albanian, as he allegedly made statements, according to `Jedinstvo', to the effect that he was a fast driver, and that no one would survive if he caused an accident, or, that a number of injured workers were transported to an ``illegal hospital'' in Glogovac; the Association of independent unions, which rallies ethnic Albanians, accused the imposed management of the Kosovo Electrical Company of ``not taking care of workers' safety,'' supporting their claim by the fact that four buses which transport the workers had a puncture the day after the accident.

Both sides agree on one thing only, that the tragedy is immense. Both the local authorities in Kosovo Polje and the leader of Kosovo Albanians declared a day of mourning and sent their condolences to bereaved families. In any case, surgeons and medical staff are faced with the most difficult task. They managed to give first aid with their last reserves, while medical supplies donated by the `Medecines sans frontiers' are not expected to last long. Poverty can be felt on every step.