SAMOA – The youngest survivor of a bus crash in Samoa that claimed one life and left many more in hospital is a three-year-old toddler.

Niko Malaki was with his parents shopping in Apia last Friday when they boarded the bus on their way home.

Niko’s mother, Alofa Malaki, said it is a miracle her son survived. In fact, she says it’s a miracle that anyone survived.

Malaki said another woman was holding her son before they left town but she took him back and sat him on her lap just before the crash.

“It was a nightmare,” she said, recalling the moment the driver lost control of the bus. “I thought we were all going to die but I am grateful to God that I am still breathing.”

The owner of the bus, Tiatia Noa Tiatia, has apologised to the victims of the crash – including the family of the man who died earlier this week.

“I have visited all the victims and their families on Saturday to apologise and they have accepted it,” Tiatia told the Samoa Observer.

“What has happened is very unfortunate and I am extremely sorry for the pain this has caused.”

Of more than 50 passengers admitted to hospital as a result of the crash, Va’a Opetai, of Siumu, died on Sunday night from injuries he received.

Tiatia said he visited Va’a before he passed and he spoke with his family.

“It’s my duty as the owner of the business to offer my condolences to the families who have lost their son as well as the families of all those who have suffered from the accident,” he said.

Tiatia denied claims that the brakes failed. The bus would never have been allowed on the road if that were the case, he said.

Instead he said that from what he’s been told, the driver was reckless and that he was speeding down the hill.

“It is a 2016 bus from China and it is a new bus,” Tiatia said.

He added that the driver should not have taken the route where the accicent happened.

“At first, I couldn’t believe that it was one of my buses when I was told about the accident because what I know is that all my buses are not supposed to take any trips to Siumu.

“I only believed it when I arrived at the scene and saw my bus in pieces.

Tiatia said he would let the Police do their work to investigate what happened.

Passenger Alofa Malaki said: “The bus was speeding because he was in a rush to take us and come back before 5.30pm.

“We heard a weird noise from under the bus and suddenly I saw smoke coming from where the driver was sitting. I started to get scared when the driver overtook several vehicles and he was speeding.”

At that moment, Malaki said she held on tight to her son and she started praying.

Alofa’s husband Ogenoa Malaki Te’o said the bus was stopped three times by a police and despite the fact it was overloaded, none of the officers ordered anyone off the bus.

Ogenoa said the crash happened so quickly.

“I saw people flying around, it was lucky we crashed into a taro plantation and there were no rocks,” he said. “I found my wife lying next to the driver and my son was sitting on her crying.

“I was afraid that the bus might explode, I grabbed them and used the first car that stopped to offer help and they brought us to the hospital.”

- Samoa Observer/PNC