Residents happy no loss of life in house collapse scare
Published:Tuesday | October 31, 2023 | 12:10 AMGareth Davis Sr/Gleaner Writer
HOPE BAY, Portland:
RESIDENTS OF the Content community in Portland expressed relief and joy after discovering that no one had suffered injury in a house that crumbled under the impact of yesterday’s earthquake that rocked the island.
Two persons live at the property, where the entire first floor of the three-storey concrete house at Content in Hope Bay crumbled during the tremor, resulting in significant structural damage to the building.
Following the 5.6 magnitude earthquake, which was felt at approximately 10:57 a.m., dozens of residents rushed into the yard where the house was impacted in fear that the occupants were probably trapped inside.
However, upon their arrival, and in spite of the unfortunate situation, they were relieved after hearing that the two occupants had left for Kingston on Saturday afternoon to visit a relative.
“I am so happy that there was no loss of life, as it would be a sad thing for the community residents,” commented Stephen Williams, councillor for the St Margaret’s Bay division.
“It is going to be hard picking up the pieces as no repairs can be done to this house. Probably the most significant investment that a person can make in their lifetime is to build and own his/her own house and what has happened here today is a sad reality that natural disasters can happen at any given time,” he further lamented.
“But when all is said and done it is better to be alive than dead,” he concluded.
Meanwhile, according to reports, the earthquake caused structural damage to some schools in Portland, including Titchfield High, Orange Bay Primary and Buff Bay Primary.
Several roadways were also impacted by landslides and falling rocks in the areas of the Rio Grande Valley, Fruitful Vale, Durham, Coopers Hill, Mount Pleasant and St Margaret’s Bay.