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Chief Engineering Officer at the St. Thomas Municipal Corporation Odel Felix, speaking with reporter Kimone Witter
The St. Thomas Municipal Corporation has ordered the demolition of a house in Ramble after a section of the building collapsed following Monday's 5.6 magnitude earthquake.
In an interview with Radio Jamaica News on Thursday morning, Chief Engineering Officer at the St. Thomas Municipal Corporation Odel Felix said the house had been under renovation.
But Mr. Felix explained that the structure was undermined due to excavation work and, as a result, the exterior wall collapsed following the quake.
"It was basically easy for it to collapse because there was no structural member to actually support the building in terms of columns and beams. So it was basically poorly constructed or cheap construction from probably back in the 50s because it was actually one of those old, long time concrete house (sic)," he said.
Mr. Felix noted that the construction that had been taking place on the house was illegal because no permit was issued.
The corporation, he said, will now follow-up to ensure the homeowners fulfil the order to demolish the remaining structure.
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