Three more go missing; flooding and mudslides across Jamaica

KINGSTON, Jamaica, CMC – Three men are missing and feared dead after a retaining wall collapsed on them as they slept Wednesday night disaster officials said Thursday.The Office of Disaster Preparedness and Emergency Management (ODPEM) said this latest incident has taken the number of missing persons to 12 while the number of confirmed deaths now stands at five. Earlier reports had pointed to nine deaths.Meantime, as heavy rains continue to lash the island for a fourth consecutive day, Prime Minister Bruce Golding has assured the public that the security forces have been mobilized to secure life and property.”The security forces have been fully mobilized to do two things; to ensure that they can respond to emergency calls, because at a time like this it is likely that the number and frequency of emergencies will in fact increase and people will be seeking assistance; Also to ensure that no one is allowed to take advantage of the dislocation and disruption that has occurred as a result of the heavy rains,” Golding said.Hundreds of persons have been placed in emergency shelters across the island, scores of roads are flooded and bridges and other infrastructure have been damaged.”Islandwide, the reports are (of) extensive damage to road and property, many areas are flooded, some areas are cut off altogether,” Golding said.“The National Works Agency is doing its best to clear those roads that are blocked but the rains are continuing. As they clear one road there are reports of other roads being blocked, so it’s going to be a difficult period until the rains subside.“We fear that the number (of dead) could continue to rise, we have 12 persons missing…some are little children so it has really brought pain and tragedy to some families,” the Prime Minister added.The ODPEM said that more than 400 people are in emergency shelters.”We have 46 communities affected, 33 by flooding, three related to the freak storm and one in St Ann due to storm surge activities, 467 persons are now in 15 shelters. We are currently making arrangements to look at the situation which is developing in New Market…..” said Director General of the ODPEM, Ronald Jackson.The Meteorological Service said that a broad area of low pressure is still across the island and will remain over the central Caribbean and Jamaica for the next couple of days.It said that the forecast for Thursday calls for widespread showers and thunderstorms across the island.In addition, it said that a tropical wave over Hispaniola is expected to move further west and be absorbed in the broad area of low pressure over the western Caribbean.