3 women injured

THREE women were injured, one seriously, when a leaking gas tank used by a roadside nuts vendor, caused an explosion along the Brian Lara Promenade near Charlotte Street yesterday afternoon.

The explosion caused panic among hundreds of commuters during the busy afternoon rush hour.

The injured women were identified by police as Crystal Persad of Barataria, Lisa King of Beetham Estate and Anisha David, who suffered burns, cuts and other injuries and had to be rushed to Port-of-Spain General Hospital.

The explosion caused panic as many thought it was a bomb, particularly as yesterday was the 11th — a date synonymous with bombings in the city of which there have been four to date.

However, police sources and bomb experts confirmed to Newsday that the leaking gas tank caused the vendor’s stove to explode.

Ag Police Commissioner Glen Roach said at about 5.20 pm, nuts vendor Armin Atwell was roasting nuts on a stove at Charlotte Street and Independence Square, when the explosion occurred.

Steam from the exploding stove caused burns to Atwell who lives in Laventille. His condition last night was described as critical.

The injured were taken to hospital where they were treated.

Eyewitness Anita David (not related to the injured David) said she was walking across the promenade near Charlotte Street and Independence Square, when she heard a loud explosion followed by screams of panic.

She saw what appeared to be steam shooting up in the air and then four persons on the ground. David said she thought it was a bomb and saw people scampering to safety. Among the injured, was Atwell whom she saw grimacing in pain and clutching his face.

Crystal Persad, one of the injured who sat in an ambulance waiting to be taken to hospital, told Newsday she was on her way home walking across the promenade when she heard the explosion and felt a burning in her face.

Blood started flowing, she said, from her face which made her realise that part of the flesh of her cheek had been injured.

She begged police officers for a phone to call her relatives and then sat in the ambulance in a daze. Two schoolgirls who also witnessed the explosion were comforted by police officers on the scene.

A large contingent of policemen arrived on the scene and chased members of the public and the media away from the scene.

The area between Charlotte and Henry Streets remained closed off to members of the public.

Officers of the Bomb Squad, the Canine Unit, soldiers and other officers carried out a thorough search of the scene and later submitted their report to Roach.

Last night Minister of Health John Rahael through his communications department confirmed that three of the four victims were being treated at hospital.