THE death toll from nearly a week of flood rains rose to five yesterday and the government offered assistance to the families of the victims.

Prime Minister P J Patterson did not give specifics of the help his administration would provide, but said that he had ordered the labour and social security ministry “to investigate all these cases and provide the necessary assistance”.

“I extend sincere sympathy to the bereaved families,” Patterson said in a statement yesterday following a meeting with officials of the Office of Disaster Preparedness and Emergency Management.

Heavy rains have pummelled Jamaica since last Wednesday, dumping thousands of gallons of water causing significant damage in the southern and northern parishes.

The latest victims of the floods were Fred Williams, 55, of Mud Lane, St Catherine and Anthony Allison, 27, of Succaba Pen, Old Harbour, also in St Catherine.

According to the police, Williams was killed at about 8:00 am yesterday when his one-room wooden home on the bank of a river was crushed by a landslide.

The police’s central information centre, the Constabulary Communications Network (CCN) said Allison’s body was taken from a canal in Old Harbour at about 1:00 pm yesterday.

On Saturday the body of Johnoy Bowen, 19, a student of the Ebony Park HEART Academy in Clarendon, was found in water near a sugar canefield in the parish, and up to late yesterday rescue workers were still searching for the bodies of Bowen’s close friend and fellow agriculture student, Dwight Smith, 19, as well as that of 68 year-old Clarendon farmer, Phillip Johnson.

“Regrettably, reports are that five persons have died…” Patterson said in yesterday’s statement.

The rains have been caused by a low pressure system that has hovered to the west of the island, creating unstable conditions over Jamaica. The Meteorological Office expected the system to remain in the area until Tuesday.

According to the met office, five millimetres of rain was recorded at the Norman Manley International Airport in Kingston for the six-hour period up to 7:00 last night. Higher rainfall was detected over parts of St Catherine, the office said.

With the ground already saturated from days of heavy rains, conditions were ideal for flooding and slides, which happened in several communities.

Hundreds of people remained in shelter yesterday and Patterson has instructed all government ministries to use the resources available to them to respond to the needs of communities and flood victims.

Personnel from the welfare and health ministries were already out into the field conducting assessments and providing food, clothing and medical service to victims, Patterson said.

While initial assessment indicated that several sectors have sustained severe damage and a number of persons displaced, a final tally and price tag will have to await the end of the rains, the prime minister said.

However, the Cabinet will discuss a preliminary report at its weekly meeting today.

As the rain continued yesterday, rising waters resulted in additional communities being flooded, forcing the Office of Disaster Preparedness and Emergency Management (ODPEM) to open additional shelters.

For example, shelters were opened at:

* Huntley in Manchester;

* Marlie Mount Primary School in St Catherine;

* the Open Bible Church in Osbourne Store, Clarendon; and

* Halse Hall Basic School, also in Clarendon.

Before the new ones were opened, there were already six shelters operating in Clarendon, which has taken a battering from the rains.

In fact, flooding was reported in 16 communities in Clarendon.

Another 16 communities were flooded in St Catherine; five in St Thomas; three in St Elizabeth; two in Portland as well as two Kingston communities, New Heaven and Chepwin.

Flooding and land slippage was also reported at the St Ann’s Bay hospital where the sewage treatment plant was flooded and the hospital’s water main burst.

Landslides were reported at:

* Mavis Bank and Gordon Town in St Andrew;

* Brompton, St Elizabeth;

* Natural Bridge, Pear Tree Grove, Sligoville, Crawle, St Catherine;

* Barett Gap, Bath Foundation and Hardley, St Thomas; and

* Long Bay, Portland.

While the National Works Agency (NWA) has been able to clear a number of roads blocked by debris and muck, the Mount Rosser main road remained blocked and last night the authorities advised motorists to use the alternative route through Ewarton, via Tie Dixon to Guys Hill. The Bog Walk Gorge was also impassable.

In the meantime, Patterson has urged people to pay attention to environmental health with the disposal of dead livestock, the replacement of sanitary conveniences, water supply treatment and the control of mosquitoes, flies and rodents. In addition, he stressed that the health need of those persons in shelters must be carefully monitored.

Dr Marion DuCasse, senior medical officer of heath issued a statement indicating that all hospital would remain opened and fully staffed. She also urged people to observe proper food storage and treat water before drinking.