WITH the little money he had saved, Rohan ’Bobby’ Maharaj started his own business 12 years ago. His employees were young men from his home village.

Over the years, he worked tirelessly to ensure that his family was always happy, his father, Roopnarine Maharaj, 70, said yesterday.

The 36-year-old father of three was burnt to death along with his two employees-Kishore Kumar and Anil Mohammed-when his ten-wheeler truck crashed into the Bailey Bridge in Macoya around 1.15 yesterday morning.

Police said the men were trapped inside the vehicle when it burst into flames on impact.

An eyewitness said: ’I was returning from the airport when I saw the truck. It crashed into the bridge and immediately burst into flames. I pulled aside and rushed out to help, but I could not get through the flames.’

The man, who visited the Express South office yesterday, broke down in tears when he recalled the men begging for someone to help them.

’They were screaming and begging for help. Then all of a sudden they went silent,’ he said.

Relatives said the three were on their way to buy aggregate at National Quarries. Maharaj owned Bobby’s Stockpile Ltd at Lachoos Road, Penal, located downstairs the family’s home.

Roopnarine Maharaj said: ’He was the last of my five children and we lived together. He was a good person who started this business from scratch. This morning I heard my son from next door scream out and then he said someone called and said Bobby was in an accident.’

Maharaj’s two daughters and son-ages 12, eight and six-were being consoled by relatives yesterday. His wife, Anna, went to the Forensic Science Centre in St James to identify the body.

Two houses away, another family was mourning the loss of 30-year-old Kumar.

’I did not know where he was this morning. He was making a cook across the road with some friends and he did not come home. This morning someone came and told me that he went with Bobby and there was an accident,’ his mother, Jasodra Kumar, said.

Kumar said her son was a self-employed carpenter.

’But sometimes when things were slow he would work with Bobby. He would do anything he gets,’ she said.

Kumar, the first of four children, was not married and had no children.

At Mohammed’s home there were no mourners. His mother sat quietly on a bench outside.

’We don’t want her to know what happened until later because she is suffering with a heart ailment,’ a relative said.

The 30-year-old man was his parents’ only child.

’I don’t know what would happen if she finds out that her only child died. He was her everything,’ the relative said.