Dominica shaken by 6.0 scale earthquake

by Norman 'Gus' Thomas
Caribbean Net News Special Regional Correspondent

Sunday, November 21, 2004

GRAND CAYMAN, Cayman Islands: Information reaching Caribbean Net News from the Emergency Officials in Roseau, Dominica, has indicated that an earthquake measuring 6.0 on the Richter Scale shook the Caribbean island at around 8:40 AM Sunday.

The quake was reported to have been centered some 31 miles west of Dominica's northern end.

Speaking to Caribbean Net News via telephone, Head of Dominica's Disaster Services, Cecil Shillingford, reported that the steeple of the Roman Catholic Church in Portsmouth was shaken to the ground narrowly missing a bus with several church members on their way to Mass.

"Even as we speak there are landslides taking place and we are having lots of rain as has been the case for the past two weeks." He also reported damages to several buildings, "some of these will now have to be demolished. The Hospital in Portsmouth has been damaged along with a number of homes," said Shillingford.

Several efforts were made to reach Prime Minister Roosevelt Skerrit but he has been marooned, trying to reach his constituency of Vielle Case, which according to Shillingford, has suffered badly and has been isolated due to the breaks in the roads.

Caribbean Net News also made telephone contact with several islands in the Southern Caribbean where residents as far as Martinique and St. Lucia reported feeling the effects of the quake. However, there are no reports of any fatalities and residents on Dominica have reported feeling after-shocks up to noon Sunday.

A Search and Rescue Team went racing to Portsmouth but access to the village has been difficult as the area is cut off by several landslides caused by a fortnight of persistent rains.

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