No visas for family of Florida crash victim

And the family of another of the victims left their Penal home for Piarco International Airport yesterday hoping to board a flight to Fort Lauderdale where the fatal crash took place on Easter Sunday morning.
Chanardath Bir, the cousin of Sarika Ramlochan, a victim, yesterday said he and other relatives were turned down by the US Embassy when they went to its Marli Street, Port-of-Spain offices to apply for visas to attend the funeral.
“When we went to the American embassy we were told that we are not immediate family and it was not necessary to go to the service,” Bir told Newsday.
“The day before the accident Sarika and I spoke over the phone, we were very close,” said Bir.
Ramlochan and three other Trinidadians—-Ramdeo Sirju, 23, Darrin Nandlal, 26, and Andria Ramoutar, 22—were killed in the fiery crash at Cypress Creek Road, near Florida’s Turnpike. Sirju, Nandlal and Ramoutar were reported to have been drag racing at Cypress Creek Road.
The TT Consul in Miami confirmed that all four were originally from south Trinidad.
Bir said Ramlochan’s mother, Rupdir, would be taking care of the funeral arrangements in Florida, adding he was heartbroken over the death.
Meanwhile, Newsday was told that Nandlal’s relatives left for Piarco International Airport yesterday to board a flight to attend his funeral in Fort Lauderdale today.
When Newsday visited the family’s home in the rural district of Transfer Village, Mohess Road, Penal yesterday, neighbours said everyone, including Nandlal’s ailing grandmother, left for the airport early yesterday morning. A distant relative, Oma Seemungal, described the young man’s death as “sad” saying the Nandlal family was well liked throughout the entire district.