TRAFFIC Chief Ian Amsterdam and Chief Education Officer Olato Sam yesterday morning visited the parents and relatives of the six children and teacher who died by drowning Friday last when their car went overboard at Burma Branch Road, Mahaicony, East Coast Demerara while they were returning from Mashramani celebrations at Calcutta.

An autopsy yesterday revealed that the children and the teacher all died by drowning.

Amsterdam and a team of officials, including Chief Education Officer Olato Sam, accompanied by Region 5 representatives went to the homes of the children and teachers to offer moral support and listen to their concerns.

He told this publication that based on their conversation the relatives are still in much grief and shock following the incident that claimed the lives of six children and a teacher and are in need of counseling.

Amsterdam added that as such the Guyana Police Force will provide their chaplain and officers to visit and talk with the parents of the children and teacher.

He pointed out that from the conversations they had yesterday there is likelihood of a joint funeral service for the six children, who attended Augsburg Primary School, which remains closed until further notice since the incident.

The Traffic Chief noted that all the children will be buried except for Martina Persaud, eight-year-old Grade Two student, whose parents indicated that she would be cremated.

He explained that they also spoke to the parent, whose car the teacher, Shondel Duke, borrowed, which was not damaged but water soaked having been in a trench for sometime following the accident last Friday and she said she wants closure.

Amsterdam said the woman is asking persons, who may have witnessed the accident or first observed the car in the canal to come forward and talk to them since the incident has left them all in a deep state of mourning and loss.

The children were identified as eight-year-old grade 3 student Justin Abel, seven-year-old grade 2 student Rayden Abel, 10-year-old grade 5 student Ayesha Abel – all from the same family; together with six-year-old grade 1 student Azidia Fraser, 10-year-old grade 5 student Atesha Woolford, eight-year-old grade 2 student Martina Persaud, and their teacher, Senior Mistress Shondel Duke.

The group was returning to their homes when tragedy struck and the car they were travelling in flipped off the potholed road into a canal along Burma Road