House collapses in the Collet; two injured

A family of six is homeless tonight and two of them are recuperating from injuries after their house collapsed with them in it shortly before midday today. The two-storey wooden structure on Seagull Street in the Collet area came crashing down into a pile of debris after it showed several signs of caving in. Built in 1971, the house had never undergone any type of repairs and the family, who is financially strapped, was unable to carry out the much needed repairs to the leaning structure. News Five was on the scene minutes after the incident and spoke with one of the occupants, Shirley Gillett, who said that while she and her three children managed to escape injury, her father and grandmother were not so lucky.

Shirley Gillett, Occupant of House
“We yer di house start to crack and wen I come downstairs fi si da weh di mek di house di go so, as I reach dah bottom ah di step di house drop and mi pa, mi sista and mi lee son and mi granny, dehn drop. Mi granny fall inside ah di wall; she knock ih head and mi pa knock ih head but wah scrape pan ih foot yah.”

Marion Ali
“Okay, dis da wah two storey house, unnu live downstairs as well?”

Shirley Gillett
“Yes ma’am.”

Marion Ali
“Nobody neva deh downstairs?”

Shirley Gillett
“Nobody neva deh downstairs. Everybody mi deh upstairs and my kids dehn deh dah school.”

Marion Ali
“So you say you heard cracks. So this house mi di lean fi quite a while?”

Shirley Gillett
“Yeah, fi quite a while; fi years.”

Marion Ali
“Weh all yoh loss eena dis?”

Shirley Gillett
“Well, wah stove, di damage wah stereo fi wi, wi loss some grocery and di bed get wah lee damage too.”

Marion Ali
“Di TV?”

Shirley Gillett
“Di TV, I noh quite sure bout di TV.”

Marion Ali
“Yoh can’t live inna dis. Weh pah yoh wah sleep tonight?”

Shirley Gillett
“I noh quite sure weh I wah stay tonight.”

We also caught up with Gillett’s father, Charles Gillett, who owned the house and who received minor injuries when it caved in. Gillett is asking for help to rebuild for his family of six.

Charles Gillett, Owner of Collapsed House
“Di house just collapse. I get mi back hurt and foot hurt.”

Marion Ali
“You knock yoh back?”

Charles Gillett
“Yeah.”

Marion Ali
“Weh part ah yoh house you mi deh?”

Charles Gillett
“Pan di veranda.”

Marion Ali
“Yoh mi deh out deh wid yo mommy too?”

Charles Gillett
“Yeah and mi sista and mi daughter.”

Marion Ali
“How is your mom doing?”

Charles Gillett
“Ih supposed to di sleep right now.”

Marion Ali
“But she get hurt too right?”

Charles Gillett
“Yeah, ih chest.”

Marion Ali
“Something drop pan ah?”

Charles Gillett
“Wah board knock ah.”

Marion Ali
“Dehn seh di house kinda old; from 1970 with no repairs?”

Charles Gillett
“71’.”

Marion Ali
“No repairs?”

Charles Gillett
“I mi just fix di veranda. I mi just di fix and di whole thing come down now.”

Marion Ali
“Okay, and now you’re homeless as well as the rest of your family and you’re asking for help?”

Charles Gillett
“Mmhmm, I’d like to beg help just fi build back something.”

Marion Ali
“So you’re asking for money and material?”

Charles Gillett
“Well, just fi build back wah house fi mi; material noh money.”

Gillett’s seventy-nine year old mother, Pearl Garnett, is receiving treatment for chest pains. She hit her head when she fell while sitting on the veranda. If you would like to help the Gillett family with building supplies or in any other way, you can visit Charles Gillett at the same location, 3040 Seagull Street, or call Shirley Gillett at 622-7677.