Dead and injured taken to KPH

Looters strip West Queen's Street businesses

By COREY ROBINSON, Observer staff reporter robinsonc@jamaicaobserver.com

Tuesday, May 25, 2010

CASUALTIES continue to roll in to the Kingston Public Hospital (KPH) this morning as the battle between the security forces and gunmen rages on in West Kingston.

Minutes ago, a male teenager as well as a police officer were taken into the Accident and Emergency unit with gunshot wounds.

The injured youngster was loaded onto a stretcher while the officer, apparently struck in his right leg, hopped onto a provided wheelchair.

Persons outside the hospital said as much as 30 bodies were earlier loaded from a police armoured truck. They said the persons were pronounced dead at KPH before being taken to the Maddens Funeral Home.

Meanwhile, gunshots continue to ring out in sections of West Kingston as well as near the intersection of Windward and South Camp roads

The Observer saw looters running amok on West Queens Street, completely clearing out stores on the roadway.

No looting was observed on King or Orange streets, where there are wholesales and other businesses. The Observer is unable to move to the other areas because of roadblocks.