PORT-OF-SPAIN, Trinidad, CMC:
FEDERAL BUREAU of Investigation (FBI) officials of the United States arrived in Trinidad yesterday to assist local police conduct investigations into an explosion that rocked the heart of the capital, Port-of-Spain, on Monday afternoon.
At least 14 people were injured in the blast that forced the amputation of the right leg of a 65-year-old woman.
Another person injured in the incident, a 24 -year-old man, was said to be in serious condition.
Police Commissioner Trevor Paul confirmed the presence of FBI officials who, he said, were on the scene. The blast took place in the busy commercial area of downtown Port-of-Spain shortly after 2 p.m.
Police have not yet indicated the cause of the explosion that ripped through the main street in the capital, even though newspaper reports have intimated that it may have been caused by a "home-made bomb" that had been placed in a dustbin on a pavement on lower Frederick Street.
Yesterday, thousands of commuters walked at least one mile into the capital after buses refused to enter the main hub following reports of a bomb threat. However, police said no such device had been found. The explosions have contributed to a new climate of fear and anxiety which permeates the country, and a number of bomb threats have been reported in several other parts of the city, according to the police.
STATE OF EMERGENCY
Security has been stepped up throughout the country and additional security forces have been deployed at the Piarco Airport.
In the meantime, members of the private sector renewed their call for the Patrick Manning-led administration to declare a state of emergency to deal with the crime situation.
The San Fernando Business Association (SBA), in a statement, expressed concern about 'global terrorism'.
"Now we are actually seeing it manifesting itself. We are seeing the sign of things to come probably," the statement said. The private sector had demanded the imposition of a state of emergency last year. Yesterday, National Security Minister Martin Joseph, flanked by the heads of the various security agencies, tried to assuage the fears of an anxious population.
"Citizens of Trinidad and Tobago and the international community can feel assured that all of our intelligence agencies are also at work with a view to determining the exact cause and circumstances and bring the perpetrators to swift justice," Joseph said during a radio and television broadcast.
The Security Minister urged members of the public to provide any information that could assist investigators, and called on Trinidadians to exercise caution, and to be wary of "unattended packages" as they conducted their daily business.
