Landslide leaves St James family trapped in house for days

Reporter

carisa.lee@cnc3.co.tt

A family of four remained stuck inside their Belle Vue, Long Circular Road, St James, home for the third straight day yesterday after a landslide blocked the entrance and exit to their house.

“I saw that the whole land next door slipped and it came over on my side,” homeowner Rosanna Clarke said.

Clarke said her children missed end-of-term exams at school yesterday because of the landslide. However, she was thankful she had enough food supplies to take them through the ordeal.

“It really hard having three young children and we just home,” Clarke shared.

She said the Diego Martin Borough’s Disaster Management Unit (DMU) visited and said they would get back to her.

“Well, with the heavy rainfall, it was wet, so it wouldn’t be able to move … But I saw today (Monday) the sun came out a little bit so, hopefully, before the week done, we could get someone to assist,” she said.

Guardian Media was told that technicians from the DMU will visit Clarke’s premises today and assess the landslide.

The Ministry of Rural Development and Local Government (RDLG) said efforts were ongoing to remove a landslip at Rudolph Trace, accessed via Dundonald Hill, to reconnect isolated communities.

In a media release yesterday, RDLG added that clean-up operations after the severe weather conditions caused by the recent low-level trough were actively underway in areas such as Saddle Road, Maraval, La Seiva Road, and surrounding streets. It said workers had removed fallen trees in School Street, Petit Valley, Rudolph Trace, Belle Vue, Long Circular Road, Crystal Stream, Mt St Catherine, and St James.

Minister Faris Al-Rawi said the ministry also deployed additional equipment and teams to Crystal Stream, Sierra Leone Road, and Kavi Crescent to intensify clean-up efforts.

But one resident of Chuma Monka Avenue, Petit Valley, who did not want to be identified, said as of yesterday afternoon no official had visited the area.

She said residents had lost their vehicles and personal belongings.

The woman claimed just before 3 pm yesterday she visited the DMU to ask when the water trucks would arrive to help with clean-up efforts. She claimed workers said they, too, were waiting for the trucks. She described the response as unacceptable.

Residents of Carenage claimed they, too, were yet to see any official since Saturday’s incident.

“Nobody ain’t come, nobody,” one resident said.

Those who lived close to the main road were still disposing of their damaged furniture and removing silt from their properties.

Guardian Media attempted to get a response to the residents’ claims but the councillor for Chaguaramas/Point Cumana Kevon Williams directed all questions to the Diego Martin Mayor Akeliah Glasgow-Warner, who did not answer calls.

Resident Robert Phillip said heavy vehicles driving along the main road during the flood made their situation worse.

“Something passed in the road and a gush of water flood up inside here … it was a mess, it was a whole mess,” he said.

Phillip said he was able to save his tools and appliances. However, some of his furniture was still soaked.

Another resident, who asked not to be named, said the water damaged her appliances.

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