The families of victims and the sole survivor of the Paria diving disaster have received TT$1 million ex gratia payments from the Government.

The payments were presented on January 22 at the Diplomatic Centre in Port of Spain, where Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar handed cheques to survivor Christopher Boodram and the families of Rishi Nagessar and Fyzal Kurban.

In a post on X following the presentation, Persad-Bissessar said, “No amount of money can ever replace a lost loved one. However, these payments are intended to provide meaningful support and relief, and to help ease the lives of the affected families and their descendants.”

She also criticised the former administration, who promised the payment, saying, “For far too long, the suffering and struggles of the survivor and the bereaved families were ignored by the previous administration, which chose instead to expend public funds on legal fees rather than offering direct assistance, compassion, and care to those left behind.”

Today, at the Diplomatic Centre, I officially presented an ex gratia payment of TT$1 million to Mr. Christopher Boodram, the sole survivor of the Paria diving disaster, as well as to the surviving families of Mr. Rishi Nagessar and Mr. Fyzal Kurban.
I emphasised that no amount of… pic.twitter.com/bXOzEoZBkC

— Kamla Persad-Bissessar (@PM_Kamla) January 22, 2026

The Prime Minister added that what the men endured should never have occurred and reaffirmed her government’s commitment to accountability, humanity and ensuring that no citizen is left behind. 

She noted that the ex gratia payments have begun with the first three families and will continue progressively to the remaining families.

Speaking with Guardian Media following the cheque presentation, Boodram said he was informed the previous morning to collect the cheque.

“This is like a breath of fresh air. I am happy that it happened. It is most needed, as some people who followed this would know I was not able to practise my craft since. I am grateful for the nation and the support they gave from the moment it happened, through the uproar, to bring it to this point,” he said.

In February 2022, Boodram, Nagessar, Fyzal Kurban, Kazim Ali Jr and Yusuf Henry were sucked into a 36-inch pipeline from a hyperbaric chamber while working off Paria Fuel’s Pointe-a-Pierre facility.

Nagessar, Kurban, Ali Jr and Henry died while trapped in the pipeline awaiting rescue. 

Their bodies were recovered days later following a failed rescue attempt.

Ali Jr, who was 36 at the time of his death, was the son of Land and Marine and Construction Services (LMCS) director Kazim Ali Snr. 

LMCS was contracted by Paria to repair the pipeline at the time of the incident.

A Commission of Enquiry (CoE) into the disaster found Paria liable for the men’s deaths. 

The CoE, chaired by Jerome Lynch, KC, made more than 50 recommendations, including charging Paria with corporate manslaughter.

The Occupational Safety and Health Authority and Agency (OSHA) later laid 15 charges against officials from both companies. 

All have pleaded not guilty. 

The matters remain before the courts.