Earthquake aftershocks

“We have to stop this God is a Trini stupidness and take stock of our lives,” a woman declared yesterday on the Brian Lara Promenade, Independence Square, Port of Spain, minutes after a 5.9 magnitude aftershock rattled TT.

The woman was among scores of workers who converged on the promenade at around 9.45 am shortly after the tremor occured.

It was felt in Port of Spain and various parts of TT, one day after a terrifying 6.9 magnitude earthquake sent citizens into a frenzy.

City workers gathered at several muster points as they pondered the ramifications of another major earthquake.

“I feel like my heart want to burst from my chest,” a young woman said at Woodford Square, where another group of workers had gathered.

The woman said she felt lucky to be alive considering similar tremors have wreaked havoc in other countries.

She recalled the damage a 7.0 magnitude earthquake had caused to Haiti, in January 2010.

“I have never experience anything like this and I can tell people that it is not a nice feeling.”

Several Port of Spain employers sent their workers home by 10 am as they assessed structural damage to their buildings.

This has been a major concern for employers, who, up to last evening, were still assessing their structures for damage.

After Tuesday’s tremor, which was felt in several Caribbean islands and neighbouring Venezuela, there were reports of structural damage to the Holy Trinity Cathedral, Port of Spain, Sails Restaurant, Chaguaramas and other structures around the country.

Public Services Association (PSA) president Watson Duke yesterday called for a zero tolerance stand on defective buildings.

“From today, there should be zero tolerance on bad buildings,” he said in a voice note.

“Today, it may be the warning (aftershock). Tomorrow, it may be the real thing.”

Duke urged public officers to inspect their surroundings.