By Demion McTair. Updated 9:25 a.m., Thursday, April 15, 2021, Atlantic Standard Time (GMT-4).
Police have condemned the stealing of bottled water from trucks transporting water to communities.
In a statement on Thursday, the Royal Saint Vincent and the Grenadines Police Force said:
“A number of disturbing videos have been circulating on social media depicting persons stealing bottled water from water trucks tasked with the delivery of water to several communities. The Royal St. Vincent and the Grenadines Police Force (RSVGPF) vehemently registers its displeasure with this criminal behaviour.”
“While persons are distressed at this time and are in need of water and other food supplies, it must be done in an orderly manner. The RSVGPF takes a zero tolerance approach to this and all other kinds of unlawful acts; and therefore calls on the persons responsible to desist immediately or face prosecution,” the statement added.
Goods arrived on the Ventose yesterday, Wednesday, April 14, 2021, from Martinique, at port Kingstown, most of which was bottled water.
Shortly after the delivery from the ship, videos emerged of mobs of people in Kingstown stopping moving trucks and raiding them to get water.
The water situation in the country has been dire since the explosive eruptions began at the La Soufriere volcano on Friday, April 9, 2021.
Some communities have been without pipe-borne water for four days.
The State-owned Central Water and Sewage Authority has been rationing water from its underground reserves and has been trying to restore river catchment systems affected by volcanic ash.
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