Senior Reporter
Two families are counting their blessings after the floor separating their upper- and lower-level apartments in Housing Development Corporation (HDC) Building Three on Jamadar Street, San Fernando, collapsed in the early hours of yesterday. The collapse, which occurred around 1 am, sent the bedroom flooring, along with a bed and other furniture, crashing into the downstairs apartment. No injuries were reported.
Upper-floor tenant Gail Mohan-Thomas said the incident came as little surprise, as the wooden flooring had been cracking throughout the week. “We knew that this might have eventually happened because during the week, it started cracking and cracking and cracking. It was around 12.58 and we just heard, like, boom, so we knew it fell,” she said. Mohan-Thomas said she and her son were home alone at the time, while her husband was at work. She had already moved her 16-year-old son into another room after noticing the floor in his bedroom deteriorating further.
“Luckily, earlier this month, we were able to move the wardrobe and his desk, but we were never able to get to the bed. So the bed went down with all the other things in the room,” she said. Mohan-Thomas said they began complaining to the HDC about the deteriorating flooring three years ago. She was still fearful for their safety, citing other compromised sections of the flooring.
“We could live. We just have to walk easy and pray that nobody falls through. This whole place shaking. The corridor shaking, everywhere shaking. It’s just that that one was the worst and we knew that it would have gone down first.” She said she would welcome relocation to safer accommodation.
“This is terrible. This didn’t have to reach this I see our crew is downstairs now. How come our crew come this morning? We have been waiting and waiting. This could have been avoided.”
Downstairs, tenant Richard Phillips, who lives with his two children, son-in-law and two grandchildren, said he had woken up when he heard the crash. “Hearing that noise, I ran outside. At the same time, my son ran outside. See, the bed, everything was here,” said Phillip. He was thankful that his grandchildren were not at home. Phillips said he had moved out furniture from the living room because he feared this would happen.
“And we started to use the back door only, because we have to pass through the living room to use the front door. But, still sometimes we still passed here, so thank God no one was hurt.”
Phillips said he had spent $3,000 in materials to do the repairs, after being told by HDC that materials were not available. However, he said he still had to depend on HDC to provide the labour, which never came, until now. Meanwhile, Les Efforts East/Cipero councillor Ryaad Hosein visited the families and also expressed concern over the situation and the dilapidated condition of the other buildings in the community. He called on HDC to urgently effect the necessary repairs and ensure the residents’ safety. During the interview yesterday morning, an HDC crew was conducting works. Minister in the Ministry of Housing Phillip Alexander said that the matter was not among the reports they had received on the hotline he had established.
However, he said as the matter was brought to his attention, the HDC’s rapid response team was dispatched within hours and work is ongoing. Noting that the buildings were around 60 years old, he said he was not sure of the quality of work done under the PNM administration, but he assured residents that the repairs will be done to proper professional standards. Both Alexander and Housing Minister David Lee said they were advised that the area had been assessed by a special services contingent of the Estate Management Division and there were no immediate threats or hazards posing a danger to life or limb. With materials having been sourced from HDC’s San Fernando Area Office and Stores, Lee said they were aiming to have the repairs completed yesterday.
Meanwhile, HDC’s managing director Ronald Huggins said the corporation is deeply concerned about the incident and assured the matter was being treated with urgency. He said they were also taking seriously the concerns raised by residents regarding reports raised three years ago about the condition of the property. He added that those concerns will be reviewed as part of their assessment of the circumstances surrounding this incident, and HDC would ensure appropriate action is taken to safeguard the affected residents.
