[Accident at Morne] Following Laeticia Philibert Ramkalawon, Alina Steiner, 27, has also passed away

The tragedy that unfolded at Morne on November 8 continues to take its toll. Ten days after the death of Laeticia Philibert Ramkalawon, a young hotel employee and mother of an eight-month-old baby, a second victim has succumbed to her injuries. Alina Steiner, a 27-year-old German tourist, passed away on Tuesday afternoon in the intensive care unit of Jawaharlal Nehru Hospital.

Alina arrived in Mauritius with her husband, Max Meder, on October 29 for a stay in Trou-aux-Biches. She did not survive the multiple injuries sustained from a violent collision between the rental car she was in and a bus transporting hotel employees. An autopsy conducted by the forensic department attributed her death to septicemia.

On November 8, around 4 PM, a bus contracted by a hotel heading towards Baie-du-Cap reportedly collided with the rear of the car carrying the German couple. The impact caused both vehicles to veer off their paths, with the bus ending up against a tree near the Morne football field.

Sixteen employees in the bus were injured and rushed to Souillac before being transferred to Rose-Belle Hospital. It was in this same vehicle that Laeticia Ramkalawon, 25, was traveling, and she did not survive the violent crash.

In the car, Max Meder and Alina Steiner were severely injured. The German tourist remains hospitalized in a private clinic, on artificial ventilation, and in critical condition.

A Driver Without a License

Since the accident, attention has also been drawn to the bus driver, Jean Denis Labeaute, 35, a resident of Morne. It has emerged that he did not possess a valid driving license to operate a bus transporting dozens of employees. He was apprehended on November 9 at the hospital, detained after his release two days later, and presented in court on November 12. The investigation, led by the DCIU Western, continues to establish precise responsibilities.

A Dark Year on the Roads

With the deaths of Alina Steiner and Feroz Mowlabacus, the number of victims on Mauritian roads has now reached 109 since the beginning of the year. This alarming statistic once again haunts the news as grieving families try to hold onto what remains: the quest for truth.