Portland violence latest

Fire officials in Portland say an electrical short circuit was the cause of the fire, which destroyed the house of community leader Omari Ray last night.



Reports that the house had been firebombed, were proved to be false as fire personnel today ruled out firebombing as the cause of the blaze.



The Peoples National Party, PNP, had claimed that politics was behind the attack, as Mr. Ray, a PNP activist, had previously received death threats.



Commanding Officer for the parish Superintendent of Police Dudley Scott said the police were not aware of any reports of death threats against Mr. Ray.



Superintendent Scott says joint police/military teams have been dispatched to strategic locations across the constituency to quell the growing tension among supporters of both major political parties, ahead of Monday’s bi-election.



On Tuesday morning the police shot dead two men in an alleged shootout along Thompson Avenue in the Buff Bay community.



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