As the residents of the north put their lives and property back together over the next few weeks, the danger for the rest of us is that Hurricane Dean may teach us the wrong lesson. That, according to Ramon Frutos, could be a fatal mistake. Ramon Frutos, Acting Chief Met. Officer “The story as we […]
We’ve been tracking him for a week and sometime tonight or early tomorrow, Hurricane Dean will make his rendezvous with Belizean history as he comes ashore with sustained winds of over one hundred and fifty miles per hour just north of the Belize-Mexico border. Our reporters and cameramen fanned out countrywide today and we’ll begin […]
While the Prime Minister addressed the nation from Belmopan, residents of northern Belize were waking up to the fact that Dean did not take the hoped-for-turn north toward Cancun. News Five’s Kendra Griffith travelled to Corozal this morning to see how preparations were going. Kendra Griffith, Reporting “Drills, saws, hammers, and cash registers were hard […]
While forecasters try to predict the storm’s strength, speed and landfall, other professionals are implementing plans to deal with the situation when and if Dean approaches our shores. News Five’s Marion Ali has more. Marion Ali Head of the National Emergency Management Organization, Colonel George Lovell, says the organization has gone into full swing, reviewing […]
It is the youngest of Belize’s uniformed services and if Dean makes even a close pass at Belize, the Coast Guard will be put to the test. But while the organisation may be new, its personnel are not. Brig. Gen Cedric Borland, Commandant, Belize National Coastguard “Our mission is to support NEMO, particularly with operations […]
It happens at least a couple times each year … and every time a house drops off its posts we are amazed that, despite the destruction, no one seems to get hurt. Jacqueline Godwin, Reporting This coconut tree is the only thing holding up what’s left of the two storey wooden house at number twenty-two […]
A three-year old child died on Sunday after a barbeque grill fell on top of him. According to the boy’s mother, thirty-one year old Sophia Gladden, she and her son Kevin Garnett, had been watching television shortly before he ran into the yard to play. But that was the last time the high school teacher […]
A fire Tuesday night in Port Loyola has left a family of four homeless. According to Operations Manager Michael Middleton, around eight twenty-five the National Fire Service received a call from the police informing them of a fire on Louise Bevans Street. Michael Middleton, Operations Manager, Fire Department “We immediately dispatched two trucks to the […]
A man has died following the capsizing of an oil rig near the Port of Big Creek. Thirty year old Allen Bonnell of Independence was one of nine men aboard the jack-up rig which was in the process of being towed into the port Monday night. Details are still sketchy, but it appears that about […]
Today the victims of a dramatic and destructive fire that occurred in the Albert division on Thursday afternoon are embarking on the painful journey of rebuilding their lives. And while their plight is a major cause of concern, tonight the National Fire Service finds itself in the hot seat because fire fighters showed up a […]
The buildings were old and the boards were dry, so when fire broke out this afternoon in a congested Belize City neighbourhood, it didn’t take long to become a major inferno. Jacqueline Godwin, Reporting Thick black smoke billowed forth over East Canal on the south side Belize City as a raging fire broke out on […]
Today Belize City was once again the venue of a devastating fire. M.J.’s on West Collet Canal was extensively damaged by the flames, smoke, and water. The building contained a bar but also a large number of apartments. Had the fire started in the middle of the night, the casualties could have been enormous. Fortunately, […]
Dry weather and old wood: it’s a deadly combination that can result in disaster. And that’s just what I experienced this morning on Curl Thompson Street in Port Loyola. Jacqueline Godwin, Reporting When News Five arrived on the scene, the fire had already burned one small wooden house and the flames had spread to this […]
The combination of small boat and big sea proved fatal to a Belize City man over the weekend. On Sunday morning, three fishermen looked forward to a day of recreation in local waters about four miles off the coast. Only two returned. News Five’s Kendra Griffith has the story. Kendra Griffith, Reporting Twenty-two year old […]
Another accident, this time in rural Belize, has cost a teen his life. Police reports are that on Sunday evening Rockstone Pond residents sixteen year old Edison Zelaya and twenty-five year old Terryl Cunha were hunting for parrots near Maskall Village. During their search, the duo spotted a nest and proceeded to chop down the […]
Anyone driving from Belize City to Belmopan can’t help but notice the large areas of burnt and burning countryside. These seasonal fires are not unusual in that pine ridge terrain and are part of a natural pattern of regeneration. But wildfires are not confined to rural areas and, as I discovered today, are becoming increasingly […]
As fires go, it was hardly a major blaze … even by the modest standards of the nation’s capital. But for one Belmopan family, the flames that burned down their modest home last night destroyed more than wood and thatch. Jacqueline Godwin, Reporting Seventy-three year old Francisca Salam, still in a daze, sifts through burnt […]
Separate incidents have claimed the lives of two people who went swimming with friends over the weekend. One of the tragedies occurred around four on Easter Sunday in the Belize district. Stephanie Smith, Mother of the Deceased “When I gone to see him, I just can’t hold it. Dah mi wah shock, a total shock.” […]
A King’s Park resident is without his car tonight as around five-thirty this evening it literally went up in smoke. Eduardo Castillo, a friend of the owner, explains what happened. Eduardo Castillo “First, I see this car just start to smoke inside right. And me and the owner, Martin Martinez, we just come and remove […]
Residents of Orange Walk woke up to an oil spill on their doorsteps following an early morning trucking accident. Around five today a private tanker was carrying several thousand gallons of oil to clients in Blue Creek but as it turned a corner onto Liberty Avenue it rammed into a speed bump and ruptured one […]
If you had the need to travel on the Northern Highway between Haulover Bridge and Ladyville today, then you experienced bumper to bumper traffic as work crews sought to repair the damaged embankment between miles six and seven. According to officials from the Ministry of Works five piles were driven into the ground today, but […]
While most of the public’s road rage has been directed at the perennially bruk-up stretch of the Northern Highway between the flag monument and Haulover Bridge, today a potentially more serious problem arose a few miles north. It seems that the combination of a strong current and weak seawall has washed out the embankment along […]
In December 2005, we met a young girl from the Cayo district whose heroism touched our lives. Then thirteen, Jessica Garcia braved the raging flames of a home fire to save her four younger siblings. Following our news story, we were happy to acknowledge the outpouring of support from the community. But one year later, […]
After a quiet weekend, fire officials had their hands full today as separate blazes in Belize City threatened a Southside landmark and destroyed an S.U.V. As News Five’s Kendra Griffith reports, the drama began at Sunny Side Bakery just after noon today. Kendra Griffith, Reporting Fire Chief Henry Baizar says the department got the call […]
It seems that at least once every year–often around this same time–we do a story on the deplorable state of Belize City’s streets. Here we go again … and from what News Five’s Janelle Chanona found downtown, things ain’t getting any better. Janelle Chanona, Reporting Incessant rains, holiday shoppers and everyday traffic have taken their […]
