Thousands mourn bridge collapse victim

October 18 2015 at 10:30am 

Durban - family, friends and staff of businessman Adrian Doodnath, 28, gathered to bid him farewell on Saturday in a Jehovah’s Witness ceremony in Mount Edgecombe.

He was one of two Durban men killed when a pedestrian bridge collapsed in Sandton, Joburg last week.

At the funeral, his wife of five years, Chantel, and mother, Indrani, were inconsolable.

More than 3 000 people gathered to support the bereaved family.

Doodnath was with his wife, mother, father Ashley Doodnath, and cousin Jason Perumal when the Toyota Fortuner in which they were travelling was crushed by the bridge.

Doodnath’s wife and mother were unhurt, but his father and cousin were injured.

According to Doodnath’s uncle, Aubrey Kemraj, the family travelled to Joburg for business at 6am on Wednesday.

“After two early meetings, they decided to have lunch. They had one more business meeting to go and then they were going to call it a day. They decided instead to postpone their meeting so they could avoid the Joburg traffic, but then tragedy struck,” he said.

In a speech he delivered on behalf of the family, Kemraj described Doodnath as a person with a “mischievous smile” who was good to everyone he met.

“Although he grew up to be a successful businessman, he was humble about his achievements. He treated his employees like his own brothers and sisters.

“There was never a day that I heard Adrian speak a harsh word… That’s the type of person he was,” Kemraj said.

He also spoke of Doodnath’s wonderful relationship with his wife.

“My nephew loved Chantel more than anything. Five years ago, we were watching him walk down the aisle. Today we are burying him. Chantel was his life and her happiness was the most important thing in the world to him,” he said.

Doodnath and his father ran a clutch and brake business. Doodnath was running the business in Richards Bay.

Perumal, who was driving the vehicle, was at the funeral in a wheelchair on Saturday.

The other KZN man killed, Siyabonga Myeni, 27, was a taxi driver from kwaNongoma and the father of four children. His funeral arrangements have yet to be made.

Joburg mayor Parks Tau’s spokeswoman, Phindile Chauke, said the mayor had called for an investigation into the collapse.

Murray and Roberts, the company responsible for the bridge, said through spokesman, Eduard Jardim, that a number of investigations were under way.

“We appeal to the public to wait until the investigations are concluded. We are as concerned as everyone else to understand what happened and are committed to sharing information as soon as possible,” he said.

He said the company’s chief executive had met the families of those killed and visited the injured in hospitals.

“We transferred all patients from general to private care and offered to pay the immediate medical expenses of the injured and deceased, as well as the funeral costs for the two deceased.

“We have been providing trauma counselling and support to the injured, families of the deceased and members of the public affected,” he said.

nabeelah.shaikh@inl.co.za