Grenade explosion blasts the south side of Belize City
The New Year is eleven days old and there are no deaths by bloodshed as yet. But there was a grenade explosion that rocked the morning quiet, and while it did not cause any injuries, this sixth blast did send a clear message of war and terror on the city’s south side plagued by gang violence. It is also the seventh explosive device to be traced to a missing batch of twenty-four from the British Army Training Support Unit Belize in Ladyville. Only last week, Prime Minister Dean Barrow met with the gang leaders hoping to broker a truce, but the early morning blast may have shattered any hopes of calm. Today’s explosion has placed yet another mystery to solve in the hands of authorities. A News Five crew was at the scene immediately after the blast was heard and Marion Ali picked up that story.
Marion Ali, Reporting
The blast just after four-thirty this morning ripped a small crater in the street and shattered the glass louvers on the house and on a parked Suburban nearby. Authorities called a press conference to share what they could.
Crispin Jeffries, Commissioner of Police
“On the street side in front of number four Caesar Ridge Road commonly known as the home of one Andre Trapp, actually it is the home of a family of Longsworth. There’s indication that a lone person was seen fleeing the area and we are following leads at this time.”
Lt. Col. David Jones, Bomb Expert, B.D.F.
“Based on questioning from the person who was upstairs, apparently the grenade was thrown and landed on the fence. After it hit the fence it rolled backed and hit the street. Thankfully no one was in the area.”
B.D.F. bomb expert, Lieutenant Colonel David Jones says that had anyone been within ten to fifteen meters of the blast, they would have been killed, and within two hundred meters – certain injury.
Marion Ali
“Authorities say the device could have been hurled from a number of locations in this general area, including from behind one of these parked vehicles. Its fly-off lever, which detaches from the device when it detonates, may still be lying in this general area.”
Lt. Col David Jones
“Based on the fragments that I have received from the scene, they are the same consistency with the type of grenade that was used at the Kraal Road incident, the same British type grenade. To definitely and conclusively say yes it was that type of grenade we’re still trying to find the fly-off lever. It’s a thin metal strip that is attached on to the grenade. It is deep bronze green in color and it is made of aluminum.”
Authorities are now offering cash rewards for leads that result in the discovery of the fly-off lever. In addition to that, while there is no amnesty programme in place for grenades, there are community groups that are also offering money for grenades.
Crispin Jeffries
“There are business groups, there are religious groups that are out there working diligently with us and they are offering rewards for the removal of the grenades. We have assigned our intelligence officers to use our resources and to offer financial assistance to them to see if they can assist us in recovering the grenade.”
While they try to prevent further bloodshed and work to piece together this latest puzzle, authorities could only speculate what the motive of the blast was.
Crispin Jeffries
“There is not sufficient information that has been collated to conclusively prove that there’s any break within any groups. We do know that from a specific discussion we’ve had with one of the groups, there is in fact an apparent rivalry between somebody on Kraal Road for leadership of the group. That is all we have at this time.”
This lady who lives in the area and she was stunned from slumber by the explosion.
Area Resident
“Everybody mi still di sleep when we hear the bomb, the grenade. Only hear di lotta noise, me noh get up.”
Marion Ali
“Did you think it was a grenade?”
Area Resident
“I hear somebody seh dat dah wah grenade but me noh come out. Mussi everybody fraid.”
Fear, a feeling the Commissioner and his Department will try feverishly to replace with a sense of law and order as they meet with the various gangs to thwart any further blasts. Reporting for News Five, Marion Ali.
Commissioner Jeffries says that police had information two weeks ago that a grenade would be hurled in the area and they were on high alert. When asked whether today’s blast indicates communication breakdown between the police and the gangs, his response was no.
