Portland: Student’s body flown to India

A number of Portland residents hosted a candlelight vigil last evening for 13-year-old Jasti Kumar, whose body has been flown to India to facilitate the final ceremony there.

Kumar, who was enrolled at Titchfield High School, died on the afternoon of May 20 when the bus in which he was travelling ran off the Black Hill main road in Portland while negotiating a corner. Nearly two dozen other students were hospitalized.

The candlelight ceremony, held at Woodstock Housing Scheme, attracted people from various backgrounds.

They included the parish’s two Members of Parliament – Daryl Vaz and his wife Ann-Marie, members of the clergy – including Pastor Vernon Allen who led the vigil, the police, representatives of Buff Bay Liberty Learning Centre, Justices of the Peace, Principal of Titchfield High Richard Thompson, as well as Councillors Dionne Hunter and Rhoan Vassell.

The child’s father, Dr Kumar, was at the vigil for a relatively short period of time as he was gearing up to leave the island for India, where he was born.

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