Dear Editor,
In Queens Village, Hollis, Jamaica, Briarwood, Ozone Park, Richmond Hill, Woodhaven, Howard Beach, and surrounding areas of Queens, NY, the sunken ferry and the fate of the passengers have been the talk among Guyanese. Sadness was on the face and in voice of everyone.
Guyanese everywhere express shock and grief and pray for the victims. It probably has been the same in other parts of the diaspora such as Brooklyn, Bronx, Schenectady, New Jersey, Florida, Texas, etc. Phone calls from other parts of USA, London, and Canada queried about what really happened. They asked if all passengers were safe. At the several mandirs I visited in Queens; people talked about the mishap. Pandits offered prayer that all lives are safe. Several people on the phone and in person asked this writer what happened and how? Were lives lost? Information has been slow and limited in coming. They wish the government and rescuers well.