As the waters head downstream, many families are still unable to leave their homes. In some communities along the Sibun River, the water reached as high as chest level. Some residents resorted to canoes to paddle to safer ground. Isani Cayetano was in the area today where water levels are so high, some parts are […]
In the aftermath of one the most severe flooding, residents in Roaring Creek are heading back home to pick up the pieces. Damages to homes, household items and those sustained by businesses are running high and it will take some time to rebuild. The water rose so high, it reached the approach of the new […]
Assessment of damages is ongoing and a clear picture will emerge in the next few days of the extent of damages. On Saturday, Prime Minister Dean Barrow held his final press conference before demitting office to address government’s national flood response. According to PM Barrow, the Ministry of Finance has set aside ten million dollars […]
As Tropical Storm Eta continues to barrel her way through the Gulf of Mexico towards Key West, Florida it is recorded as the second most intense November hurricane, as well as the first tropical cyclone to make landfall in the United States during this month since Hurricane Mitch in 1998. Nonetheless, U.S. and United Nations […]
Cabbage, tomatoes and sweet pepper crops are under water tonight in Valley of Peace. The scale of losses experienced by the farmers will not be clear until another couple days as flood waters remain high, making it difficult to assess the damage. But what we know tonight is that every farmer suffered losses, with many […]
We also headed to San Ignacio which was hard hit and completely flooded when the torrential rains started last week. It was so bad, only the roof of the Welcome Centre, one of the landmarks in San Ignacio, could be seen on aerial footage. The waters are now flowing to the Belize River Valley and […]
Disaster relief amid a pandemic will prove challenging for frontline workers who are tasked with carrying out evacuation efforts in flood affected communities across the country. With a ballooning of COVID-19 cases, the exposure of coast guard and B.D.F. personnel, as well as doctors and nurses will increase considerably as they respond to the needs […]
The Belize Police Department has recorded its first COVID-related death. In recent months, the department has been hit hard by the pandemic which left more than one hundred officers off duty. But tragedy struck over the weekend, when one its own, a police officer from Patchakan, Corozal died. The twenty-five-year-old officer was tested post-mortem for […]
In respect of the latest numbers, there were ninety-eight additional confirmed cases of COVID-19 on Sunday night, putting the total of confirmed cases at over four thousand. The Cayo district registered thirty-eight cases with the Belize District registering seventeen and Orange Walk registering thirteen. There are also two additional deaths to report tonight. One is […]
According to Doctor Manzanero, there are currently four intubated patients at K.H.M.H.’s COVID I.C.U. unit. He says that the private sector has two confirmed cases hospitalized, including one of the ministry’s health care workers. He says that there is a highly suspect case at a private institution in Belize City, also intubated. The ministry is […]
Manzanero also provided an update on the amount of rapid testing that have been done. He says that more than two thousand rapid tests have been conducted at the Philip Goldson International Airport so far. The number of positive cases, according to Manzanero, is on the low side. Dr. Marvin Manzanero, Director of […]
General elections are proceeding on Wednesday as scheduled, despite the recent flooding. Postponing the national vote, according to PM Barrow, would have to be a mutual decision taken by the political leaders of both mass parties. At this stage, however, it is his opinion that the elections will be carried out on November eleventh since […]
Are polling stations in flood affected areas, particularly in Cayo District, being used as shelters to house displaced families? The situation in the west is being watched closely and, if a decision is to be made to reassign new polling stations, it has to be done by Tuesday with all logistical considerations in place ahead […]
When he spoke with the media this morning, Commissioner Chester Williams also spoke on policing on Election Day. Williams says that their job is to ensure that the election process goes smoothly. He says that while they carry out those functions, the police will also be ensuring that COVID-19 regulations are adhered to. This morning, […]
As you know, as of nine p.m. on Wednesday night, a countrywide curfew kicks in. Today, ComPol Williams told the press that police officers will be making sure that the public complies with the curfew, but that they will also be making some accommodations for those who must be out, but that social gatherings will […]
There is an unsettling case of rape of a ten-year-old girl in Punta Gorda. Police say that the incident happened last Friday inside the child’s home. The little girl and a five-year-old sibling were left in the company of a baby-sitter who reportedly stepped out of the house and that is when the disturbing crime […]
Two more prison escapees were captured over the weekend. Alleged master-mind of the prison break Carlos Montejo and Enrique Martinez were nabbed in the south. With those two in police custody, the three prisoners who remain at large are Jaroud Lamb; Michael Faux and Erwin Lanza. Today, ACP Joseph Myvett shared details of the latest […]
Police are investigating a vehicle that was discovered engulfed in flames on Banak Street in Belize City. Police say that Sheldon Meighan who resides on Banak Street parked the vehicle on Saturday night and around eleven that night it was seen on fire. Sr. Supt. Hilberto Romero, Deputy Head, National Crimes Investigation Branch “Police […]
An incident in Hopkins Village has left two police officers injured. Police say that around eight-thirty on Saturday night, a cop was attacked by a man with a knife. Cops in the area came to his rescue but the man also attacked them injuring one other officer. Police say that they are trying to verify […]
Prime Minister Dean Barrow formally bade adieu to the media on Saturday ahead of his retirement to private life on Wednesday. For the past twelve years, we have had a professional relationship with the prime minister and his government and admittedly, at times it has gotten a bit tense. During his weekend press conference, the […]
Tonight, Eta is churning toward the Caribbean, but it is leaving behind a rising death toll in Guatemala and Honduras. The storm, which is one of the worst to affect the region, is dumping torrential rains across Belize, causing extensive damages to crops and property – the extent of which will be discussed by Prime […]
….from the twin towns to Roaring Creek, where drenching rains, the outer bands of ETA, caused the river to spill over. The overflow covered the old low-lying bridge and reached at the entrance of the new elevated bridge that connects western Belize. The Police Station was under water and so were some houses; residents had […]
A few miles away, a portion of the road at thirty-eight and a half on the George Price Highway has proven to be problematic during this rainy season. A large hole appeared at a temporary crossing at the area where the rains washed out in June of this year. That hole caused traffic to come […]
Here in the city, the situation in the south side is feeling the brunt of the torrential rains. The Kroonman Lagoon is flooding and posing a threat to residents. This morning Councilor Oscar Arnold was in the area assisting residents with the building of a reliable and permanent structure. News Five’s Isani Cayetano reports. […]
News Five received reports just before noon today that an international flight had to be rerouted after it was deemed unsafe to land at the Philip Goldson International Airport. It was confirmed by airport authorities that all airlines were informed that the international airport would be closed for the remainder of the day. This, we […]
