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CHILE BUS ACCIDENT

“…NO ONE COULD HAVE KNOWN THAT TWELVE PASSENGERS WOULD NEVER REACH THEIR DESTINATION…”

(March 2006) The cruise ship Millenium departs Valparaiso, Chile, with 536 passengers for an excursion that was to conclude in Fort Lauderdale, Florida fourteen days later. No one could have known that twelve passengers would never reach their destination.

On the fourth day of the cruise, the ship made its first port  call at Arica, where some of the passengers disembarked to tour Lauca National Park, near the Bolivian border. In the late afternoon the group boarded a minibus to return to the ship.

As the bus navigated the narrow and winding roads, high in the Arica mountains, the unspeakable happened. The bus swerved to avoid an oncoming truck, and the driver lost control of the vehicle. The minibus plunged 300 feet down into a canyon. Twelve passengers — members of a synagogue tour group — were killed. At 1 A.M., Rabbi Leider was contacted by Rabbi Leibl Miller, director of the Chabad chevra kadisha (ritual purification organization for the deceased) in Florida. by 4:30 A.M., Rabbi Isaac Leider was on a plane to Chile.

Rabbi Miller was already on site when Rabbi Leider arrived, and was already working together with local authorities.

Rabbi Leider explained to Chilean authorities that Jewish law requires every drop of blood and tissue be buried with the deceased. Under Rabbi Leider’s direction, all twelve victims are recovered and identified. The US Ambassador to Chile, Craig Kelly, and staff member Mr. Sean Murphy worked around the clock to expedite the release of the victims. The remains were soon flown back to the US for a proper Jewish burial.