radhica.sookraj@guardian.co.tt

An entire class of 35 pupils from Rio Claro East Secondary have scored ungraded in two of their Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate (CSEC) examination subjects after their School-based Assessment (SBA) marks were not uploaded to the Caribbean Examinations Council (CXC).

Some of the disappointed students yesterday journeyed to the Ministry of Education’s District Education Office in Rio Claro to query the grade while others went to the school hoping to get answers.

Khanak Lobin said his daughter got up at 2 am to check her grades and she broke down in tears when she saw she was ungraded for Principles of Accounts and Principles of Business.

“It was too much for her. She said ‘Daddy go and see about this for me. I cannot handle this,’” Lobin said.

He said after spending thousands of dollars in extra lessons for his daughter it was heart-wrenching to see her grade.

“She worked so hard. She has lessons all week every afternoon. She was not happy with the little work that was going on in the school so we decided to take matters into our own hands and do extra lessons so she would score a good grade,” Lobin said.

Student Jeremiah Grant said he too got a nasty shock when he went online to view his marks.

“I did everything I was supposed to do. I did my SBA, submitted it on time, I went on time for my exams. I was waiting anxiously for my result and then I saw ungraded,” Grant said.

After calling up his friends they realised the entire class was ungraded.

“We decided to come to the ministry’s office and find out what happened. We do not know whether our SBA’s were marked. We are waiting for a school supervisor to tell us what happened,” Grant said.

He added, “My teacher never contacted us to say what happened. I have no contact with him and the ministry is saying they have to wait for the supervisor to speak to the principal.”

Schoolmate Treena Smith said she was devastated when she saw her grade and called on Education Minister Anthony Garcia to launch a probe into the matter.

“I felt so dejected and hurt. It is unfair to us and I want the Minister of Education to get to the bottom on this,” she said.

Addanna Peruse, who accompanied the students to Rio Claro, said in light of the ongoing impasse between the ministry and the T&T Unified Teachers Association over the marking of SBAs it was suspicious that 35 pupils were ungraded and possibly because their SBAs were not sent to CXC.

“I read that the ministry plans to send out a pre-action protocol letter to TTUTA because teachers are unwilling to mark SBAs unless they are paid. We need some answers,” Peruse said.

In an interview yesterday, Education Minister Anthony Garcia assured that the students will not be disadvantaged. Garcia expressed surprise that the entire class was ungraded and confirmed he had launched an investigation into the matter.

“Every year we may have queries from one or two students but this is the first time that I am hearing that an entire class was ungraded because of the SBA not being uploaded at the school. We are investigating how this happened. CXC will not grade any student whose SBA mark is not uploaded. If they don’t have a mark from SBAs, CXC will not give a passing grade,” Garcia said.

He said he expected to get a report on the matter today, adding, “As long as they submitted their SBAs we will make sure that they are not disadvantaged.”

Less than a week after he was doused with flood water by a group of irate Beetham Gardens residents, local government councillor Akil Audain returned to the community to hand out food hampers yesterday.

However, Audain did not venture back to the exact location where he and Laventille West MP Fitzgerald Hinds were attacked, instead opting to utilise the Beetham Gardens Community Centre, which also houses the community’s Police Youth Club.

Questioned over the move, Audain claimed it was a strategic decision taken to ensure those most affected by last week’s flash flooding benefitted.

“If I were to go into the community we might not be able to get everyone because they might not be home. So we can always leave it here for them to collect,” Audain said.

He also said there was no “bad blood” between him and the residents over the attack.

“As I said I have an electoral district to maintain. I am here and I would be coming back because there are things we need to continue,” Audain said as he pointed to excavation works being conducted on the field at the centre. He claimed that he assisted in the development of the playing field through the East Port-of-Spain Development Company Limited.

Yesterday’s hamper distribution drive was relatively incident-free, as most of the 84 beneficiaries queued up to collect their packages under the watchful eye of police officers from the Inter-Agency Task Force (IATF).

Some community members not identified for assistance by Audain also turned up in the hope of coping “freebies”. However, they all left empty-handed as Audain only distributed to those on his pre-prepared list.

Some of the recipients also did not seem satisfied with the items contained in the sealed boxes, which included toilet paper, ketchup, rice and boxes of candy.

“What we suppose to do with this? I will need two boxes just to make up,” one man said.

“I really need some help with my stove and fridge because I can’t cook and have to come here to get cold water and something to eat,” a woman added.

Audain attempted to pacify the residents, explaining that the relief boxes were prepared using donations from the T&T Manufacturers’ Association (TTMA), Fixin’ T&T and other NGOs.

The water-dousing incident occurred last Tuesday as Audain and Hinds were touring areas of the community affected by flooding. The duo was speaking to residents along 16th Street when they were confronted by a group of men who kicked water on them while their backs were turned. Hinds and Audain confronted the men over the incident but were forced to flee as the men, who were armed with buckets, chased after them. Hinds made a report of the incident to police the following day.

Police sources said the investigation is still ongoing. The suspects, some of whom were captured on videos that were subsequently circulated on social media, had not been arrested up to yesterday.

There were allegations that the men, who are not from where the incident occurred, were being egged on by a United National Congress (UNC) activist. However, these allegations have not been proven and the attack has been condemned by several politicians, including Opposition Leader Kamla Persad-Bissessar.

radhica.sookraj@guardian.com

Riding on a wave of goodwill from the public, Commissioner of Police Gary Griffith says he is already getting hundreds of calls on his private line 482-GARY giving details of criminal activity in T&T.

He is also receiving many prank calls, all of which he is acknowledging.

Speaking to Guardian Media yesterday, Griffith said he was heartened by the public confidence in him.

“I have received thousands of calls and I am dealing with everyone when I get a chance. I am receiving information that can be of value. I am getting many calls about financial intelligence. I am also receiving the calls about a mango that fell in a neighbour’s yard as well as calls about crime plans. I am getting all those and acknowledging the messages. I am also getting very serious concerns and reports which are being forwarded to the relevant departments for investigations and possible action,” Griffith said.

He assured that all the calls were confidential.

Griffith also dismissed statements that the launch of his direct public information line would undermine the credibility of other crime hotlines such as 999, 555 and Crime Stoppers 800-TIPS.

Saying his new crime initiatives were not meant to discredit his predecessors, Griffith said he expected negative comments from the criminal elements.

“I think it is very disappointing and disturbing that I am finding different opportunities for the public to come forward and give information and people are criticising. In a recent poll, 96 per cent of the people said they were supporting it. The only people who are against it and finding concerns with it is the criminal elements because this is another spoke in their wheel,” Griffith said.

He added that his plans involved the public and all members of the TTPS whom he intended to motivate and empower.

“There will be many strategies to improve the performance, image, performance, and productivity of the Police Service, you will see and feel the difference,” Griffith said.

“I have to get every member of the Police Service to understand what I am doing. I will be visiting every police station. I will be meeting every Member of Parliament and every member of the business sector who would like to meet with me,” Griffith said.

“There will be new methods to measure performance and to make each person accountable. It will be just like a business or like any company in the private sector.

“I intend to make every police officer accountable to the citizens of the nation based on their performance. This is not in any way to be seen as disciplinary measures.

“Measurements for performance and accountability will now be used as a yardstick so that police officers can be recognised, commended, rewarded and even promoted based on their exceptional performance,” he added.

Contacted yesterday, president of the Police Social and Welfare Association Inspector Michael Seales said the Association was in support of Griffith’s scientific approach to measuring performance in the TTPS.

“The association has recognised what the CoP has said. We applaud this new measure of accountability, leadership, and transparency. The old archaic system of measuring individuals performance is a redundant use of old resources. In this new management system, we will have key performance indicators to drive performance and we applaud this because it is connected to rewards and promotions,” Seales said.

Two police officers charged with the murder of San Fernando resident Adelle Gilbert were jeered by members of the public and prisoners as they were being escorted in handcuffs from the San Fernando Magistrates Court yesterday.

Police Constables Donald Snaggs and Peter Farnum were charged almost two years after Gilbert was shot by the police near his Carlton Lane, San Fernando home prompting calls from his relatives then for justice.

Police alleged that Gilbert was armed with a gun and had fired at them. Part of the incident was captured by camera footage and formed part of the police investigation.

Farnum, 34, who has seven years service, was attached to the Inter-Agency Task Force, Laventille.

Farnum was arrested at his work place yesterday morning. They were charged by Snr Supt Kenneth Galindo of Homicide Bureau of Investigations.

Shortly before 4 pm they appeared in the Second Court before Magistrate Kerianne Byer who read the charge to them.

It alleged that on October 20, 2016 at Lawrence Street they murdered Gilbert. Farnum was represented by attorneys Keith Beckles and Keon Beckles who asked for disclosure.

Beckles asked for initial report of the incident, reports submitted to the investigators by the accused, CCTV/video footage, ballistic report and other forensic reports, crime scene investigators report, post mortem report and any oral statements.

Farnum’s attorneys also held for attorney Joseph Honore who is representing Snaggs.

The officers were remanded into prison custody and the matter adjourned to September 17.

The officers were given a hooded jacket by their colleagues to cover their faces as they were being escorted from court to the prison van.

People standing outside the court and prisoners who were already in the prison van taunted them as they walked towards the van.

CARACAS, Venezuela (AP) — A powerful earthquake shook Venezuela's northeastern coast yesterday, startling residents in the capital who evacuated buildings and briefly interrupting a pro-government rally in favour of a controversial economic reforms.

The US Geological Survey put the magnitude of the quake at 7.3 and said it had a depth of 76 miles (123 kilometres). Its epicentre was 12 miles (20 kilometres) off the sparsely populated Cariaco peninsula that has seen several devastating quakes in the past.

A witness in Cumana, the biggest city near the epicentre, said there were initial reports of several injuries at a shopping centre where an escalator fell, but that there were no other immediate signs of damage in the vicinity.

In downtown Caracas, concrete from the unfinished Tower of David office building fell to the sidewalk, creating a hazard.

John Boquett, a firefighter captain in Caracas, said there were no initial reports of injuries or major damage in the capital.

The quake was felt as far away as Colombia's capital of Bogota, where authorities briefly closed the international airport to inspect for runway damage. In Caracas, office workers and residents fled their buildings and homes.

The confusing moments after the quake were captured on state television as Diosdado Cabello, the head of the all-powerful constitutional assembly, was delivering a speech at a march in support of the socialist government's recent package of reforms to rescue an economy beset by hyperinflation and widespread shortages.

"Quake!" people yelled as Cabello and others looked from side to side with a mixture of laughter and concern. "It's the Bolivarian revolution speaking to the world," Cabello thundered to applause.

A similar-sized quake in the same area left dozens dead in 1997.

Interior Minister Nestor Reverol said that disaster relief teams had been activated but so far there were no reports of fatalities.

"We ask for the greatest patience and tranquility from the Venezuelan people," he said in a televised address. "These situations require prudence."

Power outages were reported across nearby Trinidad, where people ran into the street and gasped as large glass panes at one supermarket shattered and falling concrete smashed several cars. The quake also cracked walls and thousands of goods fell off supermarket shelves. No injuries or deaths were immediately reported.

Joan Latchman, a seismologist with The University of the West Indies Seismic Research Centre, said it was the strongest earthquake felt in Trinidad since December 2016. She said there were seven aftershocks within an hour of the quake, and that more were expected.

Two Special Reserve Police officers have been each granted $200,000 bail after appearing in court charged with robbing two men in separate incidents, earlier this year.

PCs Navindra Sinanan, 41, of McBean Village, Couva, and Nigel Dhanpat, 38, of Tumpuna Road, Arima, appeared before Magistrate Christine Charles in the Chaguanas Magistrate’s Court, on Monday, on four charges of misbehaviour in public office.

Dhanpat and Sinanan were last assigned to the Chaguanas Rapid Response Unit.

The first incident occurred on January 27 when they responded to a report of a fight between a man and a woman at Price Plaza, Chaguanas.

Sinanan and Dhanpat separated the couple and allegedly took the 19-year-old man to Penco Street, Chagunas, where they are accused of robbing him of two Samsung S8 cellphones and a quantity of cash, before letting him go.

The second occurred almost three months later on March 24. The duo was reportedly on patrol along the Chaguanas Main Road when they forced a 52-year-old produce vendor into their vehicle.

They are accused of robbing the man of $100 worth of produce, $400 in cash and only allegedly releasing him after he bought them, $40 in drinks.

The officers were charged after an investigation led by Senior Supt Andy Belfon was completed last week.

The duo is expected to reappear in court on December 11.

↔ —Derek Achong

The Holy Trinity Cathedral in Port-of-Spain sustained damage during yesterday’s 6.9 magnitude earthquake. The Labyrinth floor had fallen masonry and stonework and the top of the church tower was broken off.

The front end of a First Citizens employee’s Tiida car that was parked on the eastern side of the church carpark was destroyed by falling debris and stonework from the overhead church steeple.

Still shaken from the ordeal and on seeing the damage done to her car, the bank employee said: “I was about to leave the bank when the building started to shake.

“That’s what delayed me, I was just waiting for my daughter. As I came round the corner I saw the rubble on the street, then when I came closer; the car was gone.”

The woman asked her daughter to take photographs of the car and the church tower, which had exposed stonework.

She then told her daughter to carefully check if there were any valuables in the vehicle while keeping an eye out for falling debris.

Still distraught, the bank employee said she wanted to get out of city fast and go to her Chaguanas home. She was dropped off by her colleague.

There was chaos yesterday from the most violent earthquake to hit T&T in this century!

Buildings suffered structural damage, there were electricity outages in the East and West, police were on high alert - and inspections are set to be carried out in full force this morning.

This after Trinidad and Tobago yesterday got the shock of its collective life around 5.31 pm when the “monster” earthquake hit T&T, part of a wave extending to Grenada. Its actual epicentre was in northern Venezuela where it was felt at a level of 7.3 on the Richter scale according to US estimates.

In T&T, the 90-second earthquake measured 6.9 according to T&T’s Seismic Research Centre at St Augustine. The epicentre was in the Paria peninsula, with the north/west of T&T registering the quake’s strongest hit, SRC stated. The event came in waves of very strong intensity, subsiding slightly and resuming heavy shaking, followed by tangible multiple after-shocks. The centre confirmed that less intense after-shocks were still occurring past 9 pm last night and could continue for months with an earthquake as strong as yesterday’s event.

SRC officials told T&T Guardian that yesterday’s event was the strongest earthquake to hit this country in more than a century. The largest was in 1776 when a 7.8 ‘quake destroyed T&T’s capital, which was then at St Joseph. It was later rebuilt in PoS.

When yesterday’s “monster” unleashed its full strength, screams, shock, panic and fear gripped many citizens from north to south as they endured the violent rocking, rolling and shaking, plus strong multiple after-shocks for the 90-second duration.

In Port-of-Spain where all types of damage were reported, people fled buildings once the initial rocking subsided.

Police, emergency and Government teams went into action immediately after the event occurred.

Communication Minister Stuart Young, who appeared on a national TV programme to update the country on measures being taken, urged citizens not to panic.

Parts of the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception in PoS were damaged and the cross atop the Trinity Cathedral was also bent out of shape, crookedly.

Several Government officials at a meeting at the Hyatt Regency hotel reported some damage there. Udecott chairman Noel Garcia said the hotel’s communication tower was damaged and Hyatt crews immediately evacuated the hotel and went room to room to check on guests and damage.

A shocked Garcia said the eighth floor of Tower D of the Waterfront Complex also sustained structural damage. He said Udecott crews will be touring facilities built by Udecott - the Education Tower on St Vincent Street and others - from this morning to assess the damage.

The 22nd floor of the Waterfront Complex’s Tower D felt the impact so much that files were reported to be strewn around offices. Heavy damage to parts of One Woodbrook place was also reported on social media.

Public Utilities Minister Robert Le Hunte, who toured several areas last night, said his ministry at One Alexandra Street sustained minor damage.

“The earthquake, however, impacted power generation at some facilities resulting in electricity outages in the east from Trincity, west from Westmoorings, Maraval, Moka and other places. Teams went out immediately and were expected to get electricity back on. They’ll continue going out (this morning) to inspect damage,” Le Hunte said.

“TTEC and WASA have contingency plans for events like this, but after what was one of the worst - if not the worst - earthquake in intensity and length of duration, we’ll see what needs to be upgraded.”

Works Minister Rohan Sinanan said up to last night there had been no reports of roads, bridges or overpasses damaged.

Teams from the ministry will be out this morning to inspect all such infrastructure in an emergency plan. Another batch of teams will be inspecting all Government buildings. Sinanan said people who suspect their building has been damaged can contact the ministry to have an inspection done.

“I was at an office which I exited when the earthquake occurred. What struck me was that it was long as well as strong,” Sinanan said of yesterday’s incident.

Health Minister Terrence meanwhile said he’d been on a walkabout in Curepe when the ‘quake hit. He said all health facilities were intact and the ministry’s Disaster Preparedness plan was in force.

“We did walk-throughs at the major facilities in Port-of-Spain, San Fernando, Mt Hope and Sangre Grande and it seems there’s no major disruption in electricity. However, we’re asking patients to use health facilities for only absolute emergencies and depending on how things work, we may cancel elective surgeries between today (Tuesday) and Thursday to cater to any possible surge in demand for medical attention.”

New Police Commissioner Gary Griffith and National Security’s Young also co-ordinated emergency responses from the National Operations Centre.

Griffith activated plans for police patrols to operate throughout the country to assist citizens in need or who were injured. He also issued advisories for citizens to call 999 in the event they required assistance.

Shock, panic, fear islandwide

In various parts of downtown PoS, pieces of concrete and structures could be seen on some streets after falling to the earthquake’s strength.

The Guardian Media building, a historic part of St Vincent Street, also suffered some damage in places externally. Attorneys in chambers nearby were seen surveying their office buildings and security guards in several locations were seen outside of their premises just after the earthquake.

For those who were still making their way home through PoS after 5.30 pm, the only conversations were about the earthquake. One woman walking with her colleague said she had seen the ground “breaking up” as they moved. Other homebound folk hustled to get home, faces grim.

Public Administration Minister Marlene McDonald said she’d been near Morvant when it hit.

“I just saw cars rocking and didn’t understand what was happening,” she said.

“I’ve learned there’s some damage at the ministry, which is a multi-storey building - tiles have fallen et cetera - this will be assessed (today).”

Tabaquite MP Suruj Rambachan said he was in Avocat at the time but hadn’t seen any damage there.

“However, in all my 70 years I’ve never experienced anything like that - it was terrible, the biggest earthquake,” he said.

Chaguanas Mayor Gopaul Boodan said corporation teams will be out today checking for damage - particularly in the area of the highway overpass which had been damaged by an earthquake several years ago.

UNC MP Ganga Singh expressed concern of the danger of a tsunami after the earthquake but Seismic Research Centre officials said while there was an initial tsunami alert from the Pacific Tsunami Centre, it was later assessed there was no surge danger.

The USGS’ earthquake site noted while there have been 17 previous earthquakes of six-plus magnitude in this region, large earthquakes are rare and yesterday’s was “the largest historic event within 250 km of this location in the 20th and 21st centuries”.

In January, T&T was rocked by five earthquakes in one day. The Seismic Research Centre warned then T&T was at risk for a severe event.

Health Minister Terrence Deyalsingh has confirmed that his wife has been providing consultancy services for a particular company but has denied Opposition claims of her involvement in Government project contracts being awarded to the firm, saying he recused himself in the matter of two projects.

However, Opposition Leader Kamla Persad-Bissessar, who challenged Deyalsingh on the matter on Monday, said after Deyalsingh’s confirmation she was moving to take the matter to the Integrity Commission.

“This is to determine whether Mr Deyalsingh did indeed, in the execution of his duties as Health Minister, a public office, act in keeping with the spirit and letter of the Integrity in Public Life Act,” Persad-Bissessar added yesterday.

“In light of Mr Deyalsingh’s forced public confession to his spouse’s involvement with a company receiving state contracts involving taxpayers’ dollars, I’m left with no choice but to conclude this matter warrants further investigation.”

Deyalsingh’s confirmation about his wife came after Persad-Bissessar, at Monday’s UNC meeting in Chaguanas, called on Deyalsingh and Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowley to identify which PNM Minister’s wife allegedly works with a company which got Government contracts.

Persad-Bissessar, querying alleged family ties in state contracts, had said, “Tonight I want to ask Deyalsingh about a company (name called). This company has the contract for several Government projects which includes the Mt Hope School of Dentistry and the Red House Restoration project.

“It’s our understanding the company is also handling the Port-of-Spain General Hospital reconstruction project. It’s also alleged the Minister and his wife are friends of the company’s owner.”

The firm in question is described as a contractor/manufacturer specialising in general construction and interior outfitting. When Guardian Media contacted the firm yesterday, a young lady said there were two directors and they were overseas and there was no communication officer or other spokespeople to refer to since it “was a very small firm”.

Deyalsingh, however, deemed Persad-Bissessar’s claim “fake news”. The Health Ministry later issued a statement on his behalf on the matter.

The statement said: “The Minister confirms that Mrs Deyalsingh has in fact been providing consultancy services for a particular company over the past fifteen years spanning several administrations.”

However, the Ministry sought to clarify Persad-Bissessar’s claims—which were deemed “false”—concerning Mrs Deyalsingh’s involvement in the following projects:

• Mt Hope School of Dentistry: The minister advised this is a UWI project and not a Government project as suggested by Persad-Bissessar. Accordingly, the minister had “absolutely no involvement” in this project, which started in January 2015.

• Red House Restoration Project: When this project was discussed at the Cabinet meeting, the Health Minister advised that he declared an interest in the matter and took no part in the deliberations as per transparency and good governance. The minister accordingly had no involvement in this project.

• Port-of-Spain General Hospital Reconstruction Project: If the Opposition Leader was referring to the Central Block re-construction project, no contract has been awarded for this project at this time.

However, if the Opposition Leader was referring to refurbishment works currently being undertaken at two wards at the PoS General Hospital, a contract for these works was awarded by the North West Regional Health Authority. The award of this contract was approved by the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Health since the minister had declared an interest in the matter. The Minister of Health accordingly also had no involvement in this project.

Persad-Bissessar said she noted Health Minsiter Deyalsingh’s swift response to her concerns regarding the Government’s overall management of taxpayers’ dollars, state contracts “and the extension of this disturbing trait of possible nepotism from the very ministry over which he presides”.

“In his response, issued under cover of a Health Ministry press release, Mr Deyalsingh essentially confirms all the issues I raised on Monday, namely that his wife, Mrs Deyalsingh, is affiliated with a consultancy firm that has been contracted to provide services for three projects that fall under the specific purview of the Cabinet where he sits as a decision maker, as well as the Health Ministry, where he sits as policy director and effectively, chief decision maker,” Persad-Bissessar said yesterday.

“The projects he named are the Mt Hope School of Dentistry, the Red House Restoration Project and the Refurbishment Works at Two Wards at the PoS General Hospital,” she said.

Persad-Bissessar condemned Deyalsingh’s “arrogant, dismissive stance” on the issue and slammed “his disingenuousness, cavalier dismissal of a very serious matter—management of taxpayers’ dollars... Mr Deyalsingh sought to condemn a matter which ironically, he himself confirmed to be true”.

“To deem an issue ‘fake news’ while in the same breath acknowledging its truth is laughable, but simultaneously frightening and an indictment on Mr Deyalsingh’s general incompetence.

Of more concern is Mr Deyalsingh’s frank confession that his close relative has been benefiting, directly/indirectly, from state contracts while he sits as a Cabinet Minister, and therefore, presumably, while he holds a position that puts him in direct power to influence any award of such contracts,” Persad-Bissessar said.

Clutching her three young children and her mother who had suffered a stroke, Traci Cort fled the 15th floor of the San Fernando Teaching Hospital as the tremors from a 6.9 earthquake rocked T&T and parts of Venezuela yesterday.

Four glass panes of the hospital shattered but remained intact while another pane on the sixth floor splintered.

While the children screamed, lockers from the hospital wards collapsed sending staff, patients and visitors into a panic. Dozens of people headed for the stairway but were trapped, Cort said.

“Eventually, a nurse told us to stand in the doorway until it passed. People were screaming and running. It was terrifying,” Cort said.

Patient Nicholas Balgobin, who was warded after surviving an accident, said he headed for the door when the tremors became worse.

“I was not taking any chances. People could not get out when they took the stairs because it was locked and the security was not around to help,” Balgobin claimed.

When Guardian Media arrived on the scene, dozens of security guards were gathered outside the security booth. Many began shouting at photographer Rishi Ragoonath when he began shooting photos.

Kieran Khan said he was collecting medication by the dispensary when the tremors began and while he ran out of the lower floor he saw people trying to get out using the staircase.

“I opened the door to get them out. It was really scary. I felt that people did not know what to do.”

At Sixth Street, Barataria, Dave Roopchand, who was on the third floor, ran out of his apartment in his boxers when the tremors started.

Glass items started to crash at One Woodbrook Place, a car was badly damaged when parts of the concrete wall began to collapse. The same happened outside Trinrico at Coffee Street, San Fernando, where part of the roof fell in front of the store. No one was injured.

Mya Courtney, a sales clerk at the Gulf City Shopping Complex, said people grabbed their children and were screaming as they ran out of the mall. “The whole mall start to shake up. I don’t think there was any major damage but the bulbs fell out of the sockets and were just hanging.”

Cedros councillor Shankar Teelucksingh said they were monitoring the sea level for any signs of a tsunami.

“I spoke with the fishermen and they are monitoring the situation right now. Everyone is traumatised right now. The phone lines were down so we are now calling around but so far we have gotten no reports of structural damage or injuries.”

Also contacted yesterday, National Building Code Committee chairman Shyankaran Lalla said T&T was fortunate the earthquake occurred 70 metres deep.

“Had it been shallower we would have attained a lot of damage in T&T. There is structural damage to buildings in Port-of-Spain. Part of Pizza Hut collapsed and fell on a vehicle,” Lalla said.

He called on the Government to immediately enact a National Building Code as a top priority, saying the next time an earthquake occurs, T&T may not escape unscathed.

Around 6.30 pm, Health Minister Terrence Deyalsingh reported that all health facilities in T&T were intact and the disaster plan was in full operation. However, when the Guardian Media contacted Medical Director Dr Albert Persaud he said preliminary checks at the old San Fernando General Hospital revealed everything was intact. However, he said there was some damage to the glass panes at the Teaching Hospital at Chancery Lane. Persaud said they were trying to find space for 12 patients in case the glass panes collapsed.

“Unfounded” and “baseless”.

That is how Finance Minister Colm Imbert described Opposition Leader Kamla Persad-Bissessar’s accusations that the National Investment Fund Holding Company (NIF) was illegal.

At an impromptu media conference at his Port-of-Spain office yesterday, Imbert blasted Persad-Bissessar for her condemnation and allegation that insurance companies’ investment in the NIF was unlawful.

“It is a figment of the Leader of the Opposition’s imagination,” Imbert said.

He confirmed that although the new Insurance Act does place a 25 per cent total capital limit on how much an insurance company may invest, it is yet to be proclaimed and there is a three-year transitional period.

“It is impossible, wrong, false, misleading and very unfortunate that she attempts to undermine the success of the Ministry of Finance,” Imbert said.

“I heard the Opposition Leader saying that the Government, through mischief or incompetence or ineptitude or just plain bad-mind, I guess, have encouraged insurance companies to break the law and to exceed limit allowed for a single investment in a financial instrument of this nature. I wish to reject that in its entirety.”

Speaking at the United National Congress’ (UNC) Monday Night Forum in Chaguanas on Monday night, Persad-Bissessar questioned the legitimacy of the insurance companies investing large sums into the Government’s NIF Holding Company. Persad-Bissessar also called on Imbert to say if financial institutions, among them insurance companies and credit unions, may be in violation of the new Insurance Act 2018 by purchasing the bonds.

Addressing Persad-Bissessar’s claims yesterday, however, Imbert said: “I don’t know if she is unhappy with the success of the NIF, I don’t know what the problem is. What I do know is that she is wrong in everything that she says.”

Imbert said Persad-Bissessar had also initially labelled the NIF as a Ponzi scheme which was also incorrect as the NIF was backed by billions of dollars in assets.

“That was a nonsense statement in the beginning, now I see the Opposition Leader is coming after the tremendous success of the NIF, beyond people’s wildest imaginations, to say that it is a breach of the law. That also is not true,” he said.

He said in the current Insurance Act there is no stipulated amount that a company can invest. He said he piloted a new Insurance Act, which has not yet been proclaimed, which sets a limit at 25 per cent of the capital of the insurance company.

“So when the new law comes in insurance companies will be allowed to only invest 25 per cent of their capital. But because its brand new, the law gives insurance companies a transition period of three years to put their house in order. So even if and when we proclaim the Insurance Act, which the plan is to do so by the end of this year, when that comes into force insurance companies will have until 2021 to make whatever arrangements they have to make,” he said.

Imbert said insurance companies had requested an increase from 25 per cent to 50 per cent once the investment opportunity is offered by a wholesome and trusted company. He said that the Cabinet Note which Persad-Bissessar referred to on Monday night was one to seek Cabinet approval to increase that limit.

“It is not after the fact as the Leader of the Opposition alleged, it is long before the three-year deadline expires in December 2021,” he said.

But he said all the explanation was irrelevant because of the oversubscription of the NIF.

“There is no insurance company that is investing more than 25 per cent,” he said.

Over the weekend, Imbert sent out a series of tweets boasting of the success of the NIF, saying it had been oversubscribed by 50 per cent. He gave more details of the bond success yesterday to defend against Opposition criticism.

“The total is $7.35 billion, which is equivalent to an over-subscription of 82 per cent. On that basis alone the NIF bond was a tremendous success,” he said.

The NIF is broken down into three tranches - five, 12 and 20 years - at differing fixed rates.

“For the five-year, the application or subscription as it is called is $2.17 billion, the 12-year $1.6 billion and the 20-year $3.56 billion,” Imbert said.

The murder of the Sangre Grande family doctor will be solved, says Assistant Commissioner of Police McDonald Jacob.

Speaking a town meeting on Monday at the Sangre Grande Sporting Complex, Jacob acknowledged that the killing of Dr Lutchman Sinanan had impacted the entire community.

“When incidents like this happen, we have to protect our communities. Yes, the investigation is ongoing and the police have reached some level of solving it but the only way it can be done is in partnership with you, the residents,” he said.

Sinanan, 79, was shot dead at his Paul Street office, on August 16. Two men, wearing bandanas over their faces, also stole the doctor’s personal firearm during the incident.

At the meeting, local government councillor Anil Juteram suggested that the Police Marine Branch be reinstated to patrol along the shores between Toco to Matelot and Manzanilla to Mayaro. He said the unguarded coastline allowed illegal activities such as the arrival of immigrants, drugs, arms and ammunition.

In addition, he called for more police patrols on the minor streets of Sangre Grande. He complimented the officers of the Sangre Grande Police Station for responding with the little resources available to them.

Attorney Shawn Mahase complained about police officers driving with their windows up and failing to stop and address issues. He said, for example, officers of the task force will not deal with traffic offenders as they believe that was the responsibility of the Traffic Branch.

The attorney also called for the installation of more CCTV cameras along the Eastern Main Road to help deter bandits.

He also complained about noise pollution from all-night parties and the failure of police to help.

Mahase said illegal quarrying was rampant in the region as well as squatting in forest reserves in both Valencia and Toco Main Road.

Homeowner Phillip Bartholomew, a resident of Picton Road, said his house had been broken into and all his appliances were stolen and although he provided CCTV footage of the offender to the police since November last year, the suspect was never arrested.

Another complaint came from Arnold Lamb, of Pine Settlement, who said the police officers had no respect when they are communicating with young people. He said not all young people were delinquent.

In response, Jacob said there was ongoing training for police officers. Jacob said he will ensure the problems raised at the meeting are addressed. He also called on police officers to respond to crimes of praedial larceny rather than refer those cases to the Praedial Larceny Squad.

Snr Supt Garth Nelson, who is in charge of Eastern Division, advised members of the audience who were unhappy with the response of police officers to bring it to the attention of the senior officer in charge rather than wait to complain at town meetings.

bobie-lee.dixon@guardian.co.tt

In response to paraplegic Stacy Ann Parris’s plight for help in finding a home, the Minister of Social Development and Family Services, Cherrie-Ann Crichlow-Cockburn, visited Parris at her Woodbrook home on Monday, promising to assist in upgrading her living conditions.

Parris’s story of living under inhumane conditions and unemployment was highlighted in the Sunday Guardian.

The 39-year-old who lives alone in a dilapidated shack at the corner of Roberts and Gatacre Streets, in Woodbrook, had complained of HDC’s failure to respond to her several complaints over the years even though she sent photographs of the home attached to her letters.

Parris said all she got was a promise she would be placed on an ‘emergency’ list which was almost five years ago.

In a release, the Ministry of Social Development and Family Services, said Crichlow-Cockburn visited Parris’ home after she read the article and committed to following up on Parris’s HDC application.

The release said in the interim, the Minister outlined the other support services available from the Ministry for which Parris may be eligible.

Parris receives a montly disability grant of $1,800 as well as a food grant of $410 from the Ministry’s public assistance programme but has recently experienced some challenges with the latter.

The release said, “The Ministry of Social Development and Family Services remains committed to its responsibility of addressing the social challenges of poverty, social inequality and social exclusion.”

It added, “The Ministry’s key strategic objectives include promoting public awareness and providing advocacy and support for persons with disabilities, toward their increased participation and realisation of their full potential.”

In a telephone interview on Tuesday, Parris described the Minister’s response as a blessing and said she felt a bit honoured and shocked at the same time that Crichlow-Cockburn would take the time to personally respond to her plight.

“Not many people get that kind of response. She was just so gracious and so nice. I have seen pictures of her before but to actually have her stand in my house was just so amazing. I am just thanking God for all the people who have come forward to help,” Parris said.

Parris told Guardian Media since her story had been published, there has been an overwhelming outpour of love, concern and support from the general public.

Some of the donations to Parris came in the form of money, groceries and cleaning supplies. She said the money donated was enough to cover the $800 owed in rent, with some remaining.

As the thousands of Islamic devotees across T&T observe Eid ul-Adha yesterday, Emir of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community, Maulana Ibrahim Bin Yacub says he desires all citizens to fulfil their life’s responsibility to honour their creator and their country.

Bin Yacub said a true Muslim is one that is loyal to God and country. Eid ul-Adha, the greater of the two Eids celebrated by Muslims, is the climax of Hajj, the sacred journey to the holy city of Mecca that is done by over two million Muslims annually.

In T&T, Eid ul-Adha is not a public holiday, therefore those who do not have to work spent yesterday in celebration while others had to go to work after the morning payer and sacrifice.

“My desire is for each and every human, all of us, to be able to fulfil our responsibility to our creator and our responsibility toward our fellow human beings. These two laws are found in each and every true religion of the world: To be able to honour your responsibility to your maker and your fellow human beings. If we have that, the world will be a very beautiful place to live because peace is what we want and we all wish for peace,” Bin Yacub said.

Yesterday, Muslims gathered at their mosques where an Imam admonished them, encouraging them to be good people who were kind, gentle, loving, sympathetic and loyal citizens who live through the teachings of Allah.

When this was done, greetings were exchanged between devotees and those invited and they ate together as Eid ul-Adha represented a time of jubilation.

Families then returned to their homes where they sacrificed a bull, sheep or goat.

Bin Yacub said it is not compulsory that every Muslim sacrifice an animal as this should be done if they have the means to do so. He said some Muslims would join together as a family or community for the ritual of sacrifice.

On Tuesday, Rural Development and Local Government Minister Kazim Hosein said that the journey of sacrifice and selflessness by those attending Hajj reminds all of the importance of obedience to God and parents. Hosein said this was a trait that must be instilled in children.

“We have a duty to the younger generations, as parents and leaders, to inculcate the ideals of hard work, sacrificed and devotions,” Hosein said.

Two friends were gunned down in Arouca on Tuesday night minutes after leaving the wake of a man who was gunned down hours earlier.

According to a police report, at about 9 pm Anderson Forbes, 27 and Anderson James, 32, were seated in a Nissan Tiida, at Phase 3, Bon Air Gardens when a gunman opened fire.

Both men were taken to hospital where they later died. The gunman then escaped.

Forbes lived at Siskin Drive, Kiskadee Crescent, Bon Air Gardens and James was from Kiskadee Crescent.

Speaking with Guardian Media yesterday at Forensic Science Centre, relatives said that they believe that the murders, in which the three friends were killed, were linked but added that they have no idea why.

Police sources said that Ronald “Tek” McKie’s murder was believed to have been a reprisal for a murder, which took place in 2016. However, McKie’s relatives have denied this saying that McKie was set up. McKie, 33, whom police described as a suspect in several robberies, was shot dead around 1 am on Tuesday while standing in the yard of a friend at Bon Air Gardens.

“These boys were all good friends and it is definitely somebody calling the shots because they wanted them dead…for why is what we don’t know and we would like to know. More importantly, we want justice and we are praying that no more friends are killed,” one relative said.

In a separate incident, the man, who was murdered on Monday while driving his car along Bagatelle in Diego Martin has been identified as Jarrelle Arismendez.

Arismendez, police said, had two addresses as Laventille and Belmont. Police said he used to ply his car for hire as a PH taxi and believed that his murder was drug-related.

On Monday, Arismendez was shot in the head and neck. His body was found slumped behind the steering wheel of his car along Cascade Drive, in an area known as the Pines. Investigations are continuing.

National Security Minister Stuart Young yesterday accused Public Services Association Watson Duke president of causing 80,000 public servants unnecessary panic and anxiety following Tuesday’s 6.9 magnitude earthquake.

Young’s comments came after Duke, in addressing scores of public servants on Richmond Street, urged them not to go to work, as many of the buildings they occupy were not structurally sound, citing the Ministry of National Security on the same street as one example.

“Every time an earthquake rocks it begins to shake the bolts that keep the building together. As of now, we finish working for the day. You just leave. Every employee has a right to remove his or herself from any building that is likely to compromise their life or health,” Duke told the workers.

Duke said he wants to see which minister, CIO or director will challenge his order. He also advised the workers not to return to the buildings until they are certified for occupation.

“The PSA will make it our business that you are not coerced, threatened or forced in any way to enter a building that is not stamped by a registered certified engineer.”

In an interview with the T&T Guardian, Duke, who represents 80,000 public servants, said of the 500 government buildings in T&T, “more than three-quarters of these buildings in this country have been compromised because we have poor building standards.”

But speaking at yesterday’s post-Cabinet media briefing, Young said his ministry was safe and Duke’s claim “is an instance of fear mongering. How does Mr Watson Duke know what screw is missing where?”

He said the Government has been examining its buildings.

“There are cracks that will appear… some will be surface level cracks. That is what the engineers are looking. For Mr Watson Duke to go and to try and cause some kind of unnecessary panic and unnecessary anxiety is wrong,” Young said, adding it would be irresponsible for the Government to ask any worker to enter an area that is unsafe.

Asked if action can be taken against anyone who spreads fake news or instils fear in society, Young said there was no specific legislation in place as yet to deal with this issue.

“There may be other pieces of legislation that exists, for example, that may cause people to panic etcetera …I am not 100 per cent certain. That would fall under the ambit of the T&T Police Service, the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions. At this stage, the Government is denouncing that type of behaviour.”

Tuesday’s 7.3 magnitude earthquake forced the Ministry of Health to move patients out of the Central Block of the Port-of-Spain General Hospital after it suffered minor damage.

The shifting of patients will allow the Urban Development Corporation of T&T (Udecott) to undertake remedial works to damaged areas of the hospital, Udecott chairman Noel Garcia said yesterday.

Despite this, Garcia said engineers had found the building sound after an examination following Tuesday’s shake-up.

“What our engineers found was that the building is structurally safe. There was some cracking…there was a separation of the ramp between the operating theatre and the Central Block, there was some damage to the kitchen on the fourth floor,” Garcia said in a telephone interview, but noted the engineers had confirmed there was “no immediate danger” with the Central Block.

“We want to give some level of comfort and safety to the healthcare staff and public who were terrified and petrified because the building swayed and rocked with the violent earthquake. There was this prediction it would have collapsed.”

He said three structural reports were undertaken by PAHO, Aron Bush and Liam and Partners on the Central Block, which had outlined that there were structural deficiencies and warned that if a major earthquake had taken place the hospital would have collapsed.

But he said despite these reports the hospital remained standing with little damage.

He said going forward, Udecott proposed to do remedial works on the Central Block’s five floors.

The five-storey building was built in 1952 and houses 400 beds. Garcia could not say when works would begin, as Udecott’s engineers were coming up with its designs and scope of works.

“It should begin soon and it would not take very long. We are not talking millions of dollars in work, you know. It makes no sense throwing good money after bad. We are not going to do retrofitting works.”

Garcia said tenders for the Central Block had gone out, stating that three or four firms have signalled their intention to submit.

“They are in the process of designing because it is a design-build. We feel somewhere in late October early November we should award a contract to start construction of this Central Block,” Garcia said.

Health Minister Terrence Deyalsingh also said while there is no emergency with the building, out of an abundance of caution and to protect the safety of employees and patients at the hospital “we are in fact moving some patients from the upper floors come down to other facilities within the health care system.”

Deyalsingh could not say how many patients would be shifted, as this responsibility lay in the hands of the chief medical officer in conjunction with the medical chief of staff.

“They will make those decisions as to who is to be moved and where they are to be moved.”

However, a Ministry of Health source said yesterday that approximately 100 patients were likely to be temporarily shifted to the Eric Williams Medical Sciences Complex, Mt Hope and the Caura Hospital in the interim. The source said some patients bolted from the hospital on Tuesday and yesterday when the earthquake and aftershock struck.

Operations throughout the North Central Regional Health Authority (NCRHA) will resume fully from today, the T&T Guardian was told.

Speaking yesterday, an NCRHA official, who wished not to be named, said as a result of the earthquake, they cancelled all clinics and re-directed all clinical staff to the Accident and Emergency Department at the Eric Williams Medical Sciences Complex in Mount Hope.

“All non-essential staff at the Administrative Building were sent home, however, all inspections are done and normalcy will be returned tomorrow (today),” the NCRHA official said.

All out-patients who were scheduled for respective clinics yesterday and who were deemed to be priority or critical were asked to return as doctors on duty promised to “double up.”

Other out-patients were asked to also visit their respective clinics for the re-scheduling of their clinic dates.

radhica.sookraj@guardian.co.tt

Hours after Tuesday’s terror earthquake rocked T&T, over 25 families from Mora Heights in Rio Claro spent the night outside after parts of their homes crumbled. Their children slept in cars while the adults stayed outside praying that there would be no more aftershocks.

When the Guardian Media visited the development yesterday, pensioner Starlin Baldeosingh could not get out of his home after the main staircase near his bedroom crumbled. His caretaker Ansa Khan braved the rubble to carry food for him but when the Housing Development Corporation team arrived they warned him that the stairway was structurally unsafe.

Khan said Baldeosingh was too heavy to carry down the broken stairway, so they planned to leave him there until a proper passageway could be built.

“I know it is unsafe but we cannot do anything about it now. We can just hope for the best,” Khan said.

Resident Kion Scipio said he was afraid to stay in his house.

“When the earthquake was happening I grabbed my daughter and my wife and we started to go downstairs. That was when the stairway started to fall,” Scipio said.

Saying they narrowly escaped injury, Scipio said he was afraid to go back into the house. He called on the HDC to provide emergency housing for all of the affected families.

Bhimdath Ramnath, who was seen walking under his son’s home, said it appeared that the houses were not sturdy.

“My son is paying almost $400,000 for this house and look at the damage,” he said.

Michael Degrilla and his wife Reeta Mohammed said they were alarmed when their home started to rock from side to side.

“Everything started falling down and all we thought to do was to get out of the house. It was the worse experience of my life,” Mohammed said.

Ellina Rooplal-Mahabir said after the earthquake all of the affected residents gathered outside on a nearby plot.

“We started here all night waiting for help. We did not feel safe going back inside,” Rooplal-Mahabir said.

At the crack of dawn, HDC personnel from several departments visited the residents taking photos of the damage and doing assessments.

HDC project manager Kevin Showers said out of the 140 homes in the development, 65 per cent of them sustained some sort of structural damage. About 25 homes were badly damaged and out of these two were inaccessible because of fallen stairways, columns and walls.

“Those with tall columns and staircases were worst affected. In some areas the top and bottom of the columns were affected,” Showers said.

Mc Donald said 12 houses had significant structural issues.

“There are some people who have difficulty in accessing their homes because both staircases collapsed. We will do an assessment as some of the cases are critical,” Mc Donald said.

Mayaro MP Rushton Paray commended HDC for its quick response, saying he had the assurance that all homeowners, whether they owned, leased or rented HDC homes, will get assistance. He said the corporation had limited resources and while a community centre could be opened up for displaced residents, there were inadequate resources to man the centres.

Sudesh Deonarine left work on Tuesday eager to get home to cook a meal but on his way there the terrifying 6.9 earthquake shook T&T. When he arrived home the back portion of his home had collapsed.

Holding up pots which were buried in the mud under heaps of galvanize sheets and concrete at his Malgretoute Road, Princes Town home yesterday, Deonarine said he was uncertain of how he would buy back everything lost when his kitchen and washroom collapsed.

“Look at my stove, washing machine and fridge. I don’t know how to start over. I did not expect my home to crumble like this,” Deonarine said, explaining that his kitchen was the favourite part of his house.

“I love to cook. Last night I stayed in the other side of the house but I could not sleep thinking that it will fall.”

No other homes were affected severely in the community.

Around midday, Manahambre/Reform councillor Chris Hosein and members of the Disaster Management Unit of the Princes Town Regional Corporation visited Deonarine and took an assessment of the damage.

“We are going to do our best to assist. When I saw the extent of the damage I was shocked. There were no words to describe what I saw. It is devastating that after spending your money and time building your home and in the blink of an eye it is gone,” Hosein told the T&T Guardian afterwards.

He explained that the DMU will make recommendations through the National Commissioner for Self Help.

“I will also be reaching out to the National Commission for Self Help to see what kind of assistance could be given,” Hosein said.

Structural damage to homes was reported across the country, including Penal Rock Road and Mora Heights, Rio Claro.

Contacted yesterday, Minister of Social Development Cherrie-Ann Crichlow-Cockburn said she was sympathetic to the people who experienced damage to their home.

“The earthquake is a natural disaster so we will be offering a home repair (grant) of up to $20,000. So far I have only one report from Penal Rock Road,” Crichlow-Cockburn said.

“Because insurances do not offer coverage for natural disasters the ministry makes provisions. We offer an electrical grant which is a maximum of $25,000 and a sanitary plumbing assistance grant up to a maximum of $15,000.”

She explained that affected residents can contact their local government representative, who will make an application. Ministry personnel will then visit the site and make an assessment, following which a cheque will be given to the affected home-owner. She said residents who occupy HDC homes should also report damage to the HDC, who will also do an assessment and make recommendations to the ministry.

“I empathise with the people who have suffered that extent of damage and we are very much prepared to assist them,” Crichlow-Cockburn added. (RD)

More than 40 farmers have been left on the breadline after Tuesday’s 6.9 magnitude earthquake caused severe damage to acres of agricultural lands and destroyed almost $2 million in crops at Los Iros, Erin.

As a consequence, consumers have been warned to brace for a shortage of vegetables and a hike in prices as the farmers will be hard pressed to supply the food basket in South Trinidad.

About an hour after the earthquake there was massive earth movement in Erin, resulting in the formation of huge cracks of varying depths across a kilometre of Erin Los Iros Road and sinkage of some areas of 40 acres of agricultural land.

Some 20 irrigation ponds were destroyed, three stock houses were damaged and a plough and tractor fell into the cracks. Hundreds of thousands of crops, including hot pepper, tomato, ochro, bodi and eggplant, were buried in the dirt.

Pleading for urgent assistance yesterday, Los Iros Hill View Farmers Association president Rishi Ramraj said the land began moving about an hour after the earthquake.

“People were on the land and they started to run, luckily they knew the area and got out. Otherwise, they would have been buried in the dirt,” said Ramraj.

“The land break and crack open in plenty places about five to 20 feet deep in some places. The widest crack is about five feet. The food crop area is about 100 acres, so we not sure how if more areas affected.”

He said the farmers also could not plant on that land anytime soon.

“We need excavation and land preparation there,” he said, adding, “We need the Ministry of Agriculture to come and fix the road, fix the pond and prepare the land.”

Ramraj also asked for compensation for their losses.

“We need urgent assistance. We have instalments at the ADB, school opening just now, we have bills to pay,” lamented Ramraj, adding the caretakers and watchmen who reside in the stock houses have been forced to seek refuge elsewhere.

Ramraj said officials from the Ministry of Agriculture, Land and Fisheries visited the site and promised to give them feedback in a short time.

When contacted yesterday, Minister Clarence Rambharat said he was paying close attention to the situation because it was an important food producing area.

Noting that the area has had coastal erosion issues, the minister felt it was a combination of that and the earthquake which caused the land slippage and cracks. He said an engineering team visited the site yesterday and would be returning today.

With regards to compensation, he said he had not seen anything so far to indicate there was destruction of crops. Rambharat, however, said he intended to visit the area in the coming days to do his own assessment.

“Now is not the time to talk compensation. If we need to intervene. We will intervene and see where we go from there,” Rambharat, adding there were no other reports of destruction of agricultural lands due to the earthquake.