‘We have to live’

"Yes, we are frightened and scared of anyone strange walking past, or anyone who stops and put something on the ground. So frightened are we that when we came back to the spot we kept looking in the trees to see if there was anything.

"Right now all we can do is put our faith in God and hope that the person or persons responsible, are caught," she said.

Former newspaper vendor Samuel and her son Ryan were two of the persons selling nearby when the bomb exploded on Monday, injuring 14 persons at the corner of Queen and Frederick Streets, port-of-Spain. Yvonne McIvor, a passer-by, had her left leg severed.

Similarly, watch vendors Bianca Williams, Tricia Jack, Selina Walters and pregnant Natalie Walters who were selling nearby but miraculously escaped the debris from the blown-up dustbin, expressed the same view.

Cancer bands/watch vendor AnnMarie Leacock who was selling on the opposite side of the road with her daughter Adana Belfast when the blast injured both of them, also shared similar views.

"Right now I am afraid of everyone and shadow, but this is my life, I got to live. I have not returned fully. But from next week I will be back to full sales. I have bills to pay and this is how I pay them."

Leacock suffered injuries to her right knee, leg and side of chest. Adana is still unable to walk about after being injured by the flying debris.

Mary Cassie, aunt of injured Cindy Cassie Cox, who normally sells next to the bin but did not that day, but instead let her niece sell there thanked her lucky stars for not being there, but was not prepared to allow the explosion to stop her selling. "I believe it was God’s intervention my son and myself were not there that evening. And yes I am frightened and very cautious of anyone stopping or passing, but I will not allow that to stop me from selling.

"I have to live, and have a family to tend for. The only person I really fear now is God. What I think should be done beside regular patrols is that cameras should be put on every street and more stringent laws be put in place to deal with people who commits these crimes.

"I do not believe the person who did this act intended to do it here, but probably ran out of time and threw the bomb in the bin. What I do know it is a test by amateurs. The real thing is yet to come.

"If the police could not deal with this, then surely they would not be able to deal with bigger things."

The area directly where the blast took place on Monday remained cordoned off, while Frederick Street was reopened and back in action.

Four persons remain warded, while forensic and FBI bomb experts are still analysing the fragments from the bomb to determine material, make and the time it went off.