The Government of St. Vincent and the Grenadines will meet the full expenses of the persons killed by floods and landslides on Christmas Eve.
Prime Minister Ralph Gonsalves, who is also Minister of Finance, made the announcement this week.
Speaking on Monday, he again extended condolences to the families of the nine persons, saying he has visited six of them and planned to visit the others by last Tuesday.
“I have given instructions to the Cabinet Secretary that all persons who have died during the storm will be buried at the expense of the state,” Gonsalves said.
“I don’t want the problem of the pain and suffering of the death, to be added to that, the cost of a funeral. So we ease that burden and I say to them, prayer help, God does not give us more than we can bear,” he said
See the list of the victims below:
- In Rose Bank: Wesley Nanton, 73 of Rose Bank, Hannah Nanton, 70, Hazel Baptiste, 48, Bernard Nanton, 24, and Yanick Nanton, 18.
- In Byera: Raymond Gonsalves, 62.
- In Cane Grove: Kelisia James, 18.
- Shalarni Headley, 33 months old of Canada
- In Vermont, Desmond Wilson, 43.
- Shalarni Headley, 33 months old of Canada
According to reports verified by I-Witness News, the following persons are missing:
- Jozel Small, 28, an employee of Buccament Bay Resort, was swept out to sea Tuesday night.
- Inka Jack, 12, of Questelles, was washed away in Buccament Bay Tuesday night.
- Shirla Edward, 34, of Buccament Bay, was swept away when floodwaters destroyed her house.
Sounds great.
Please confirm that is all the funeral expences are being paid for every family affected, and what is being paid is over and above what government has always paid towards funerals?
It would have been great if the funeral homes could have offered reduced services for also for the family affected.
It would have been great if the funeral homes could have offered reduced services for also for the family affected.
It would have been great if the funeral homes could have offered reduced services also for the family affected.
The present Government is doing its DUTY in this crisis. The duty of the Government is to respond in times of need. Hats off to the PM and the Government in responding appropriately when needed (including calling for national unity). Hats off to the PM for reaching out personally and being AMONG the people affected. Hats off to the PM for a job WELL DONE and giving the support to all affected. There are those who will WANT to have EVERYTHING at the same time. Thankful for the Government and the PM for ensuring they have NEEDS first before WANTS.
I challenge the critics to do better!
Peter Binose and his comments shows a deep seated hatred for the ULP Administration and its Leader. Its people like Peter Binose that has the country politically divided. No prizes for guessing his political affilliation.
I believe in my pm he is doubt a Geat leader I applaud him and god bless him.
I am of Barbadian heritage living in Canada, and I am related to one of the victims. God Bless your Prime Minister and his Administration, I greatly admire his attitude, we are all in this together. God Bless the people of this great Island (s), together you will rebuild stronger !
DAVID JACKSON, stop stuttering.
I have said this before and I will say it again, Gonsalves is a self confessed liar, he told us he tell lies. I cannot trust anything that he says or even write without asking questions and checking his statements for truthfulness.
Because this tragedy has happened it doesnt call a truce on telling lies, we still have to check him out.
JUNIOR, what are you talking about are you blind, do you not see what is going on, wake up man. The problem is the government has not done its duty. They failed to have put by a disaster contingency fund. They spent it and never replaced it, that in my eyes is a criminal act, in law perhaps not. With no disaster fund they are having to rely on others for money and help, they have failed all the people in Saint Vincent.
Junior, calling for national unity, then calling a disaster planning meeting, inviting foreigners and not inviting the NDP leader, is that your idea of national unity, are you that stupid or do you think we are.
I know that more help has come from private people than has come from this government, Junior get real.
Why cant some people put political differences aside and let us all come together and give the support that our Prime minster and the country on a whole needs to deal with the situation at hand let me cry out loud here -its DISASTER NOT POLITICS especially for you Mr P B stop hating, PM Gonsalves is not the country or the situation he is doing his best why are you so dam negative in a time like this -and it goes for all the rest like you, you all haters.