Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar yesterday described the crashed Caribbean Airlines aircraft as a "stunning sight" that was really heart-rending to see, especially in the daylight.

"It was miraculous what happened because not a life was lost, not a fatality," she said at a media conference at Piarco International Airport after returning from Guyana, where she flew on Saturday to inspect the damage and meet with the injured crew and passengers from Caribbean Airlines Flight BW523 which crash-landed at the Cheddi Jaggan International Airport on Saturday.

Persad-Bissessar and a team comprising Transport Minister Devant Maharaj, Foreign Affairs and Communications Minister Suruj Rambachan, Local Government Minister Chandresh Sharma and Minister in the Office of the Prime Minister Rodger Samuel travelled to Guyana on Saturday to get a first-hand view of the crash.

She said she visited some of the injured passengers and she pointed out that even the most affected passenger who suffered a broken leg assured that he would continue to fly with CAL.

"We thank God for his mercies that not a life was lost and it serves to remind us of the safety track record of Caribbean Airlines," Persad-Bissessar said.

She noted that on Saturday night, a CAL flight coming into Guyana had to circle for over an hour in the air before landing.

The Prime Minister said she was advised this happened because the visibility was low because of the rainfall.

She added that a decision was taken that if the aircraft could not land safely, it would return to Trinidad. However, it was able to land.

She said one pilot sustained back injuries, but he was doing well and not hospitalised.

Arrangements were put in place, she said, to fly one family member of the six crew members to Guyana to lend comfort and support.

"They did appear to be traumatised... they did appear to be in discomfort. I know the airline has brought in persons to speak to them and give them support and counselling, but they are indeed, in my respectful view from interacting with them, they are traumatised," she said.

"I saw a lift when we walked in, all of us, and spoke with them and prayed with them. They were more comforted when we left," she added.

"It is a miracle that they are alive," she added, as she explained that someone by the name of Neil had to literally take an axe to break the door of the cockpit to get the crew out.

Persad-Bissessar said it is expected that there will be some ill effects from the crash, but she stressed that it must be noted that CAL has a proven track record.

"We need to remind ourselves, I want to repeat this and I cannot say it enough that the safety and record of Caribbean Airlines remains, in that not a life has been lost in over the period of time, its previous incarnation as Bwee/BWIA, so thank God for the miracle that has occurred as we probe into this matter to find out what could have led to it," said Persad-Bissessar.

She also clarified that it was not her administration but the People's National Movement (PNM) which had leased the Boeing 737-800 aircraft which crash-landed in Guyana on Saturday morning.

The Prime Minister was not casting any blame, but wanted to correct "misinformation" that was being put into the public domain by bloggers—that the aircraft was leased in April this year under the People's Partnership Government and its new Caribbean Airlines (CAL) board.

She also dispelled reports that there as a CAL crash in St Maarten, pointing out that this was not only false but a 2001 report about another airline.

Persad-Bissessar said she could not provide any explanations as to how the crash occurred, saying that she would leave it to the investigators.

She offered thanks to US Ambassador Beatrice Wilkinson Welters, who arranged for the United States National Transportation and Safety Board to fly into Guyana from Washington to conduct investigations.

In addition, Persad-Bissessar said Trinidad and Tobago's Civil Aviation Authority, Guyana's Civil Aviation Authority, representatives from Boeing and officials from Suriname will also be probing the crash.

The Prime Minister said she gave instructions that no part of the aircraft should be touched until the investigations were completed.

"I was not of the view that the aircraft should be touched in any manner or any parts removed until the investigators had a chance to come on site and see it," said Persad-Bissessar.

"We don't know what happened and we have no intention of speculating. We would want to await the outcome of the investigations to guide us," she added.