Courts Bargain Centre in Spanish Town set on fire

The Courts Bargain Centre on Young Street in Spanish Town, St Catherine is still calculating its losses after the building was set on fire early this morning.

Reports are that about 2:00 a.m. the Spanish Town Fire Department received a call that the building was ablaze.

A team responded and put out the fire, which damaged several stoves, washing machines, refrigerators, and other items.

Cooling down operations are ongoing.

Sections of Spanish Town are tense following the fatal police shooting of reputed One Order strongman Othneil 'Thickman' Lobban.

Lobban was killed during an alleged confrontation in St Andrew last night.

The incident has reportedly caused unrest in Spanish Town.

Taxi operators are scarce, the entrance to the market is empty and there was the general closure of a number of businesses throughout the Spanish Town corridor.

Residents are hoping for a quick resolution.

Meanwhile, the security forces were seen maintaining a strong presence in the area.

The unrest started yesterday when the tyres of several police vehicle were slashed by persons along the Ellerslie Pen-Tawes Pen corridor.

Commanding Officer for the St Catherine North Police Division Superintendent Hopton Nicholson says that the police will redouble its efforts to contain the problem and resort normalcy.

- Rasbert Turner

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