Officials take to skies for aerial view of damage in North Windward

Members of the Government, the resident Ambassadors of Cuba and Venezuela as well as the media were on Friday, April 15, given an aerial view of the damage done to the North Windward section of the country during last week’s flooding and landslides.{{more}}

They were taken to the disaster zone on board a defence helicopter from Trinidad and Tobago.

Prime Minister Dr.Ralph Gonsalves said he contacted Prime Minister Kamla Persaud-Bissessar of Trinidad and Tobago last week Thursday evening and requested, among other things, the use of a helicopter to make a closer determination of the damage to the interior.

The helicopter arrived on Friday, April 15, at 8:45a.m. and took Prime Minister Gonsalves, the Minister of Agriculture Montgomery Daniel, along with the resident ambassadors from Venezuela and Cuba, to the interior of the island. This was followed a trip for the media to the disaster zone.

The previous day, Gonsalves, the Chairman of the Regional Security System, was able to obtain the services of the RSS’s C26 aircraft to carry out inspection of the internal areas of the disaster area. A party led by Senator Julian Francis, including officials from BRAGSA, the Ministry of Works and NEMO, was able to get a closer look at the devastation to roads, rivers, agriculture and general infrastructure.

Meanwhile, Gonsalves said a significant amount of clearing has been done at the Mt.Young, Caratel and Basin Hole. He added that there is also the need to clear the beaches.

“There is a phenomenal amount of debris still up the rivers,” said Gonsalves.

“We have loads of debris, lots of trees which have fallen, which are still in a sense waiting to come down,” said Gonsalves, noting that the rivers will have to be cleared.

Gonsalves said in the mountains there are many landslides and trees that have fallen. (HN)