The occupants of the house said about 2 a.m. they heard horrifying sounds which turned out to be a landslide which caused several pine and eucalyptus trees to fall on their one-room board house. Jason, 14, one of the occupants, said "Mi jus hear the tree dem a drop down pon di house and me and mi brothers jus run out cuz mi mother was on the road with a friend. I was scared and all I wanted to do was to leave the area, mi cudn't even save nothing. Mi neva believe the likkle rain cud do this, cuz we survived all the other hurricanes."

'Kotching'

When The Star visited the house, one side was left 'kotching' beside a mango tree. The other sections were placed firmly in the mud. The landslide was so massive that the occupants managed to save only a few items of clothes. Other than the house itself, there were three beds, one television and a fridge among other basic amenities that were destroyed.

A community member told THE STAR that he was very concerned about the incident. "The real problem started in the 70s when the Government replaced the native forestry of cedar, mahogany and french oak trees with eucalyptus and pine trees that do not have strong roots. I knew this was going to happen, there are no tree roots to hold the lands together, the hills are too steep and the land is not suitable for living," he said. "I wish the Ministry of Housing could see this story and send out building inspectors to check these rural areas, they need to get more active."

Appeal

The owner of the house, Angela Richards*, who was not around when the incident occurred, told the Star, "I can't even explain how I am feeling now, I never thought this would have happened in my wildest dreams. And you know, my aunt and her children died from a landslide in this same community, I just never saw this coming even after that."

Richards, who has been living in the community for over 37 years, said she never expected the ordeal. She however appealed for help. "I am seeking help from anyone as I have lost everything, even the back-to-school items for my children were destroyed."

*Name changed upon request