The authorities have now confirmed that 10 of the 18 persons reported dead during the passage of Tropical Storm Gustav across the island from Thursday into Friday died under circumstances directly linked to the weather system.

On Friday, Government officials had placed the figure at 11 tentatively as they were still uncertain how many lives had been lost during the onslaught.

People make the dangerous trek across the Hope River at Harbour View in Kingston yesterday. The bridge spanning the river collapsed during the onslaught of Tropical Storm Gustav last Thursday. (Photo: Karl McLarty)

Yesterday, Horace Glaze, senior director of preparedness and emergency management at the Office of Disaster Preparedness and Emergency Management (ODPEM), told the Sunday Observer that other casualties that have been reported are being investigated.

"We received confirmation from the police that 10 of the 18 deaths confirmed were directly related to Gustav, but a few of the others were persons who were being idle and got themselves in difficulty. But overall, we had 18 deaths reported," Glaze said.

In the meantime, he said the shelter population had reduced, with 1,123 persons remaining in 88 shelters islandwide. Up to 11:45 am yesterday, the ODPEM reported that 1,506 persons remained in 92 shelters islandwide.

An aerial view of the collapsed Harbour View bridge yesterday. People are seen crossing the river. (Photo: Bryan Cummings)

Persons were forced to take refuge in shelters Thursday night as Gustav blasted the island with 70 mph winds that damaged roofs, uprooted trees and left persons without electricity. The thorough soaking triggered flooding and mudslides which destroyed homes and infrastructure.

Last night, Glaze said several shelters in a number of parishes had closed during the course of yesterday and a number were expected to follow suit today.

"It's less now. We found from our assessments that some of the persons could go home," he said. "Those persons who suffered minor damage to their buildings as well as the areas where the water receded returned home. In the Trelawny area all the shelters were closed as well as St James. Quite a few shelters were closed in other areas and going into tomorrow we foresee that quite a few others will be closed."

He said the ODPEM was not at this time carrying out any further evacuation activities but would spend today focussing on assisting communities which have been cut off and are running low on food and water, but are not in danger otherwise.

Meanwhile, the ODPEM advised persons attempting to cross the Hope River in Harbour View, where the bridge collapsed during Gustav, not to do so until the National Works Agency (NWA) has erected a temporary Bailey Bridge in its place.

It further advised that the Bog Walk Gorge in St Catherine is still officially closed to pedestrian and vehicular traffic and the Flat Bridge is inaccessible. Motorists are to use the alternative routes through Sligoville and Barry.

And the Eastern side of Ferry along Mandela Highway (Mandela Highway into Kingston) is now reduced to single lane traffic as sections of the road are inundated with water.

Meanwhile, at 6:00 last evening, the Jamaica Public Service (JPS) reported that service had been restored to exactly half of the 160,000 customers who were left without electricity in the wake of Gustav. Included in the number were the public hospitals in Alexandria, Port Maria, Lucea, Linstead and Annotto Bay, as well as the Norman Manley International Airport in Kingston.

Service to several communities in St James, Hanover, Westmoreland and Trelawny, as well as a few areas in Clarendon, St Catherine, St Ann, St Mary and St Thomas should also have been restored yesterday according to a schedule issued by the light and power company.

The JPS, however, said "while restoration efforts were proceeding as expected in some parishes, the progress was much slower in the parishes of Portland, St Mary, St Catherine and St Thomas where there is extensive flooding and inaccessible roads".
As to the damage to its systems, the light and power company said this was not significant.

"We suffered no significant damage to our generating infrastructure, but we had some to our transmission and distribution lines," the company said.

The National Water Commission said that up to yesterday evening service had been restored in 11 parishes except for persons served by the College Green distribution line in the Corporate Area.

"We suffered significant damage to some of our infrastructure and major damage to different sized pipes in places like the vicinity of College Green near Jamaica College," NWC spokesman Charles Buchanan told the Sunday Observer.

Additional reporting by Kimone Thompson

Feeding the multitude

DANGEROUS PETS

Pepper Pot