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T&T Prime Minister pleased with regional support following devastating floods

Published:Monday | October 22, 2018 | 12:00 AMJason Cross
Members of the Trinidad and Tobago Defence Force and Red Cross help residents trapped by rising flood waters in St Helena, Piarco. Contributed

As Trinidad and Tobago picked up the pieces after undergoing unprecedented flooding, due to excessive rainfall in the last few days, Prime Minister Keith Rowley said he was pleased with the outpouring of support from regional counterparts.

According to news from the Caribbean Media Corporation, Trinidadians yesterday embarked on a wide-scale mop-up exercise following the widespread flooding and landslides, which caused millions of dollars in damage.

There have been no reports of deaths, or of persons being missing. Those who required shelter, sought refuge at facilities mainly in the south, central and eastern parts of the twin-island republic, which were most badly hit by the devastation.

Andrew Holness, Jamaica’s prime minister and chairman of CARICOM; Venezuelan President Nicolás  Maduro; and colleagues from Barbados, among others, have all reached out in support of a nation in crisis.

“The regional leaders have expressed their concern for the people of Trinidad and Tobago as we grapple with the effects of the floods, due to this unusually protracted period of inclement weather. They have all indicated that they are on standby to assist the people of Trinidad and Tobago in the event that requests for assistance are forthcoming,” Rowley said in a statement released by the T&T office of the prime minister.

It also thanked the regional leaders and indicated that "difficult as it is, we are coping for the moment through Government agency responses and private outpourings from persons across the nation”.

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