Faber’s Road House Collapses with Mother and Daughter Inside

A mother and her eleven-year-old daughter are seeking assistance from the public after a traumatic experience. On Tuesday night, they were at home sleeping when the elevated wooden structure collapsed with them inside. After being rescued from under the debris, their neighbor took them in. But they are trying to rebuild their lives after losing everything. News Five’s Paul Lopez reports.

 

Paul Lopez, Reporting

A mother and her eleven-year-old daughter have been left homeless after their Fabers Road home collapsed on Tuesday night.

 

Juanita Martin, Faber’s Road Resident

“We were watching TV on my bed in my room on the back and we heard some noise, like hurricane, a big noise. After that I feel the bed starting to fall. It fell quick and when we landed we were totally buried. I did not know which way we could come out but some neighbors came because they heard the noise. It waws a big noise. And they broke the window to the side and so we crawl out. I send out my daughter first and then I come out and my friend come out. I still feel traumatized from it. I feel tremble inside that I can’t stop.”

 

Three days later, Juanita Martin and her daughter are nowhere close to clearing the debris that is the fallen house and recovering their belongings from the rubble. All the appliances and furniture remain buried under heaps of zinc and lumber. Her daughter has been home from school because her uniform and school items also remain buried. Thankfully, their neighbor has given them a place to sleep for the past three nights.

 

 

 

Juanita Martin

“I mih feel like we mih wah get more injuries than that. But thank God. I get some bruise pan mih head and back and different area. My friend get scrape. My daughter got bruises and scrape. When hurricane Lisa came it, it leaned a lot, because it shook it and it started to lean over the side. The posts started to lean so.”

 

 

To make ends meet, Martin would sell cold cups from her home. Her deep freezer is also trapped beneath the rubble. Martin also ran a babysitting business that she had to put on pause due to the condition of the house.

 

Juanita Martin

“I feel sad and traumatized and lee bit hopeless and I know we Belizean people have love and kindness. So, I know I will get help somewhere or the other.”

 

 

 

Reporter

“What type of help would you like at this moment?”

 

Juanita Martin

“At this moment I really need help to demolish the house and clear away the stuff so that maybe I can get help with another house.”

 

 

 

Martin is hoping to have her daughter return to school on Monday. On Saturday, Belizeans across the country will be celebrating the nation’s independence. Martin says her circumstances have taken away the celebratory mood she anticipated.

 

Juanita Martin

“Any help or assistance that anybody could give, clothes, shelter, because over at my neighbor has no electricity and it is really hot and punishing.”

 

 

 

Paul Lopez

“What number can be use?”

 

Juanita Martin

“My number is six, two, four, zero, four, nine, eight.”

 

Reporting for News Five, I am Paul Lopez.