KINGSTON, Jamaica – A walkway that was once frequently used by pedestrians, including attorneys and police officers along Church Street in downtown Kingston, is now covered in debris from a damaged derelict building that was rattled by a 5.6 magnitude earthquake Monday morning.

The building, which is located across from the Kingston and St Andrew Municipal Corporation, was cordoned off by the fire department to ward off pedestrians.

Kingston’s Mayor, Delory Williams, also inspected the building moments after the earthquake, according to pictures circulating on social media.

A man, who was nearby during the quake, said he recognised the severity of the disaster when parts of the building started to fall.

“I was talking to the JP (Justice of the Peace) down that side and I just felt the place shaking and I said to the JP did you feel the earthquake a while ago…then you start seeing the building falling. It’s an empty building and a part of it was already cracked so it was demolished further,” he said.

“One guy was going to walk here and just as the thing [building] fell, he just made a walkway through the bushes,” he added.

Another man said Monday’s earthquake is the most serious one he has experienced in his life.

The quake, which violently rocked and swayed buildings, sent hundreds scampering outside in fright.

People could be seen rushing out of the Victoria Mutual Building Society office in St Andrew, while staff and customers were seen outside Flow, Access Financial Limited, and BDO Accounting buildings in the Corporate Area.

Children from the Citizens Advice Bureau Basic School on Beechwood Avenue could also be seen milling around in the schoolyard. Staff from the National Housing Trust headquarters were also seen gathered at Emancipation Park.

There were also reports of merchandise being destroyed after they crashed to the floor in several supermarkets, including PriceSmart and Hi-Lo Barbican in St Andrew and Ramtulla in Port Antonio, Portland.

The earthquake also disrupted power supply and cell phone service across the island.

READ: UPDATE: Still no reports of deaths or significant damage after earthquake