Belizean Student Shares Earthquake Experience in Jamaica

While Belize is monitoring a possible tropical depression that can form in the eastern Caribbean Sea in the days ahead, Jamaicans are recovering from an earthquake that shook the island nation this morning.  The epicenter of the seismic activity that measured five point six on the Richter scale was located roughly ten kilometers south of Buff Bay, Portland.  It is also reported that the earthquake affected sections of Haiti and Cuba.  In Kingston, the tremors sent some residents into frenzy.  Earlier today, News Five spoke with Xander Bennett, a Belizean student studying in Jamaica.  He shared with us his experience at the University of the West Indies.

Xander Bennett

Xander Bennett, Belizean Student in Jamaica

“I was in class around 10:50 Jamaican time, so we’re an hour ahead, so that would be 9:50 Belize time.  It was at the ending of my lecture and that’s when the initial shake began.  This isn’t the first time I’ve experienced an earthquake in Jamaica, so I didn’t really make much of it.  But after that initial shake it got really intense and that’s when the whole class realized, “Yo, this is something very serious.”  Initially, you know, it’s a frightening experience because as a Belizean growing up in Belize my whole life, that’s not something we readily experience.  We haven’t really had an earthquake, it’s more tremors, you know, so it’s nothing too intense.  But this 5.2 is very intense at this level and, you know, immediately as I got my bearings and understanding what’s really happening and trying to get out of the premises, pieces of the ceiling fell down and we got out of there, got into open space, not under anything, and just waited out.  Couple hours later, around probably 3:30 Jamaican time, there was an aftershock and I was already at my place of residence, Irwin Hall, and we had to evacuate to the parking lot and follow procedure and protocol to stay safe and everything.  It’s a frightening experience initially, but honestly I tried to keep composure, keep my bearings with me whenever I am in a situation and act accordingly to protocol.”