海地地震现场连线

--Well, I was actually standing outside of our building. I had gone to my car, and then there was this tremor and a sound, then I felt a little bit dizzy. But I wasn't absolutely sure it was an earthquake. So then I entered the building to check on my colleagues.  Then they were, we were, all making their way downstairs. Because they said there was an earthquake and we had to clear the building.

And so, I kind of took them all off the work and I made sure we had cleared the building. We had our quick check-off list and meeting downstairs and then headed back to our desks because we recognized that persons in Jamaica who would've felt it would've been calling the office to ensure that they get the information that they need.

And as I speak to you, I'm little bit still nervous. There are people here were under their desks for a little while. But we are now actually looking to advice the Jamaican population that we are not under threat at this time. And that they should stay clam. And we are listening to the news coming out of Haiti. Huh, we are very concerned because we recognized that there seems to be a lot of damage there, from what we're hearing. So, we are just waiting to hear what else there is that's happening around the region.

--What details have you been hearing? We've heard a hospital collapsing, a three-story building collapsing, A US government official reporter is saying houses that are tumbled into ravine. But you are near the action, so to speak, what have you heard?

--Well, we haven’t heard anything directly out of Haiti and my director general at this time is coordinating some information coming out of there. But I think for us here at our information desk, we are already bombarded by persons in our own country trying to get information. So I am not privileged to that information just yet, or situation report have let come to me, but what I do know is that whatever happened there, we are ready and waiting to see how we can lend assistance in that area.

--How many people have been calling your office then?

--Well, we've had at least 15 calls so far, we have set up three interviews with the local press and we have to send out one press release that we've amended to ensure that the necessary information from the Northwestern Tsunami Pacific--our Warning Center, is, is clear, so we wanna make sure that all the information that we're giving at this time is clear to Jamaican, then to ensure that they understand that we are safe at this time, but we are watching to find out what exactly is happening. We are not sure in terms of the any type of other aftershocks, and any other area in Jamaica, we're waiting to hear information from that.

--And for people who aren't aware of the region, tell us a little bit about Haiti. Everybody talks about how poor it is, the poorest country in the Western Hemisphere. Does that mean the buildings there are more likely to have been hit hard?

--I think so. And I think what we hear from the hospital is unfortunate,because then those are persons who already need critical care,huh, that would need more care. And so I think given the, huh the, the magnitude of the, the earthquake, I, I'm sure that, huh, they would have some structure, huh, implication for them there. Huh, from what I've also seen from visiting that island, huh, the structures there are not always like we have here in Jamaica, concrete structure that are very secure. So I am not surprised that they might be experiencing a lot of infrastructure damage. But to the extent that there are maybe loss of life, I am waiting now to find out more information as to the person that may need assistance and assistance from the region, so we're waiting to hear information from there.