Explosion hits Jamaica residential community

(Jamaica Gleaner) Residents of two neighbouring communities in Kingston Gardens have been left dumbstruck and wondering what hit them after an explosive device described as having an “earthquake effect” erupted in the community in the wee hours of yesterday morning.

The explosion, which occurred around 2:30 a.m. along Marlborough Road, was reportedly heard almost a mile away.

When The Gleaner arrived on the scene yesterday morning, a huge hole in the base of a concrete perimeter fence, which stood between the roadway and concrete building, spoke to the magnitude of the explosion.

Forensic experts believe the explosion occurred between the house and the perimeter fence, but they too were unable to say what type of device could have left four vehicles parked along the roadway in ruin.

Houses more than 30 feet away from where the explosion was believed to have taken place were also impacted by the blast.

Irma Senior, who lives in one of three houses in the yard where the explosion took place, was at a loss as to who could have carried out the act. The elderly woman is also amazed as to how she was the only person in the vicinity who did not hear the explosion.

“About minutes to three, a woman up the road come and call mi and ask if mi nuh hear what happen. When mi look, the glass window in my cousin house lick out. The toilet in the house and the tiles dem lift up,” she said of the building closest to where the explosion took place.

There was no one in the house at the time of the incident.

“I have no idea why someone would want to do this, I tell you the God truth,” she said.

Vehicles damaged

A woman who lived across the street from where the explosion occurred recalled her ordeal.

“When mi hear it and jump up out a mi sleep, mi think a the children dem turn over the entertainment centre,” she said.

“After mi get up and realise seh a nuh that, mi wait a while then me peep out the window and realise say the vehicles dem mash up.”

The left side of a 1991 Nissan Sunny motor vehicle was dented by the impact of the blast. Its windscreens were also blown out, while the bumper was left barely hanging. A Chevrolet vehicle was also damaged by the impact. The other vehicles, which like the Nissan and Chevrolet had been parked along the side of the road, were removed from the scene before The Gleaner arrived.

“All now mi a try figure out what happen. Maybe things would a worse if a never fi the vehicles dem weh did park near to my window,” the woman said, pointing to her living room aluminium window which was dented by the impact.

“A outside job that,” declared a young man from the nearby Nugent Lane community, who said he was awake at the time of the explosion.

“Me glass windows dem mash out and fly all over the place and same time mi chuck on the ground. When mi look, everything start drop off the wall. It did terrible,” he said.

Detectives from the Area Four Police Station have since taken two men into custody for questioning.

Samples were also taken from the scene.