Road through Mafeking impassable

Residents of Mafeking waited for hours on Friday for floodwaters on the main road to subside, after torrential rain battered the country this week.

The Mafeking Main Road is a major transit route from Rio Claro to Mayaro and is used by hundreds of people daily.

Residents said the water rose fast on Thursday afternoon and by late evening the area near the temple and several areas along the main road were submerged.

People trying to get to work at BpTT in Mayaro said they thought the water had receded and decided to take a chance on the route. But when they reached Mafeking, the road was impassable to small vehicles.

One man who wished not to be named said, “I have been here since 10 am. It is now about 2.30 pm and I am still here.

"I have to get to work and there is no other route for me to take at this time. I just have to wait.”

The other route to Mayaro, he said, would be through Biche but was "a mammoth of a drive," and he was not sure if there was flooding there too.

The water made it impossible for small vehicles such as cars to pass, but pick-up vans and trucks were able to get through.

The Mayaro/ Rio Claro Regional Corporation sent two trucks to transport people through flooded areas in their trays.

Residents told Newsday this has become a regular occurrence when there is heavy rain, and hoped the water would subside before high tide set in. They said otherwise the water would back up onto the roadand there would be no relief for a while.

When Newsday visited, several houses were surrounded by water, but according to one resident, the damage was not as bad as in previous years.

Other areas in south Trinidad were also adversely affected.