标签： Jamaica

KINGSTON, Jamaica—A significant fire erupted at the Jamaica Urban Transit Company’s (JUTC) Rockfort maintenance depot in East Kingston on Tuesday afternoon, resulting in the complete destruction of two dozen decommissioned buses. The incident, which began shortly after 3:00 pm, prompted an immediate emergency response from multiple units of the Jamaica Fire Brigade.

Emergency crews from the Rollington Town, York Park, and Trench Town fire stations deployed four fire engines to combat the rapidly spreading flames. By approximately 4:00 pm, firefighters had successfully contained the majority of the blaze and initiated cooling operations to prevent reignition. Preliminary investigations are underway to determine the exact cause of the fire, though officials confirmed the destroyed buses had been out of service for over 15 years.

Notably, the incident resulted in no injuries to personnel or damage to operational infrastructure. JUTC representatives initially declined immediate commentary but subsequently released an official statement confirming that the depot’s critical operations remained unaffected. The company emphasized that its active vehicle fleet, storage facilities, and essential operational equipment remained entirely untouched by the fire.

The destruction of these aging vehicles represents a symbolic loss for Jamaica’s public transportation system, though without immediate impact on current transit services. The incident highlights ongoing challenges faced by public transport authorities in managing aging infrastructure and equipment disposal procedures.

KINGSTON, Jamaica—Significant traffic modifications are imminent as Jamaica’s National Works Agency (NWA) accelerates its ambitious Naggo Head to Braeton roadway enhancement initiative in St Catherine. This critical infrastructure development, valued at approximately $2 billion, forms an integral component of the Government’s Capital Expenditure (CAPEX) programme aimed at urban transportation modernization.

Stephen Shaw, Manager of Communications and Customer Relations at NWA, recently confirmed the project’s progression in discussions with JIS News. Construction activities are being substantially intensified along the three-kilometer corridor stretching from Naggo Head to the junction of Braeton and Hellshire Road, ultimately connecting to Greater Portmore. The NWA pledges to issue timely advisories to Portmore residents and commuters regarding impending traffic flow alterations, enabling necessary adjustments to travel schedules and routes.

Upon completion, the transformed corridor will feature a modern four-lane configuration with raised medians, synchronized traffic signaling systems, and comprehensive safety enhancements including adequate sidewalks. The project incorporates sophisticated drainage solutions and water line installations alongside dedicated ducts for fiber-optic cables, aligning with Jamaica’s National Broadband Initiative for digital infrastructure expansion.

The CAPEX programme represents a strategic infrastructure investment framework designed to stimulate short to medium-term economic growth through targeted urban transportation improvements. Six major projects currently fall under this initiative: Grange Lane widening (St Catherine); Braeton Road and Hellshire main road dualisation (St Catherine); Arthur Wint Drive widening (St Andrew); East Kings House Road and Lady Musgrave Road widening (St Andrew); Sandy Gully Bridge enhancement along Washington Boulevard (Kingston); and improved access to Portmore via Mandela Highway and Municipal Boulevard (St Catherine).

Concurrently, the NWA anticipates concluding the Southern Coastal Highway Improvement Project by March end, initiating a two-year defects liability period wherein contractors will address any construction-related issues. This multibillion-dollar infrastructure development spans St Andrew, St Thomas, and Portland parishes, incorporating comprehensive flood mitigation measures, roadway expansions, and safety feature installations.

A high-ranking political figure provided gripping testimony on Tuesday, detailing his eyewitness account of a deadly police operation that resulted in three fatalities thirteen years ago on Arcadia Drive in St. Andrew, Jamaica. The witness, who observed the incident from his apartment window, is a key figure in the murder trial of six law enforcement officers: Sergeant Simroy Mott, Corporal Donovan Fullerton, and Constables Andrew Smith, Sheldon Richards, Orandy Rose, and Richard Lynch.

The defendants, all present in court with a seven-member jury, listened as the politician described the events of January 12, 2013, under prosecution questioning. From his master bedroom window, he had an unobstructed view of the midday shooting that claimed the lives of Matthew Lee, Mark Allen, and Ucliffe Dyer.

The witness described a scene involving three vehicles: a Mitsubishi Outlander, a police pickup truck carrying five officers, and a ‘Kingfish’ police vehicle arriving later with two additional officers. Before the Kingfish’s arrival, he observed one man in a white shirt seated on the ground under police guard, another man of Indian descent near the Outlander’s front seat, and a third individual in a red shirt in the backseat, with three armed officers positioned around the vehicle, all carrying what appeared to be M16 rifles.

The testimony revealed disturbing details: the man in the white shirt was initially seated on the ground with weapons pointed at him before hearing explosions and finding himself lying on the ground. The man of Indian descent seemed to be presenting vehicle documents to an officer when the situation escalated. The man in the red shirt exited the vehicle with raised hands, was shouted at by police, and began running—prompting immediate gunfire.

‘Immediately, as he put up his hands and came out of the car, and he was shouted at and he started to run. The shots started to ring out,’ the witness recalled, describing how the man fled into a yard across from the apartment complex.

The arrival of the Kingfish vehicle brought two additional officers, one in a beige shirt with a police vest who emerged with a handgun. According to the witness, this officer ran toward the scene, shot in the direction of the man on the ground, and then moved to the front passenger seat of the Outlander. The witness stated the man in white appeared already dead when shot.

Meanwhile, the other two officers moved toward the yard while the officer in beige pulled the Indian man from the car. Within seconds, the witness testified, this man appeared ‘lifeless’ on the ground as continuous gunfire erupted from multiple directions.

The politician further testified that he watched the five officers collect three bodies from different locations and load them into the pickup truck, which then departed with both the bodies and the officers. The entire incident, from his arrival at the window to the removal of the bodies, lasted approximately five minutes.

The trial faced tense moments when defense attorney High Wildman, representing Fullerton, objected to prosecution questions regarding the witness’s post-incident discussions and documentation of events, citing rules against self-corroboration. The objections grew so heated that Presiding Judge Justice Sonia Bertram Linton temporarily exited the courtroom before returning to dismiss the court for lunch.

Background information reveals the three victims were returning from the Constant Spring Police Station where Dyer, on bail for community crimes, was fulfilling reporting requirements. Lee, who wasn’t from the area but shared a mutual friend with Dyer, had provided transportation.

The officers were arrested and charged in August 2019—six years after the killings—following a ruling by the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions. Fullerton faces additional charges for making a false statement to the Independent Commission of Investigations (INDECOM), whose probe was completed in 2017 but delayed by court actions.

The trial continues on Thursday with further testimony expected from the witness.