Earth moving equipment was quickly brought in to clear away a rock slide which occurred on a section of the West Coast road between Coulibistrie and Colihaut at about 4.30 pm Tuesday April 30, 2013.
An eyewitness told DNO that although a few vehicles managed to squeeze through on the narrow portion of road not obstructed by a huge fallen rock, vehicular traffic in both directions generally came to a standstill as commuters waited for authorities to clear the road.
He said the area appeared to be unstable as small rocks continued to roll down the hillside.
I have lived south of Coulibistre for ten years and driven past this mountainside thousands of times. Yes the rock slides are a constant danger and recently have become more common. However, I have no complaints to make about the government. I know that as recently as independence that there was no highway that connected St. Joseph to Portsmouth. The new highway is a pleasure but the real miracle is that the highway was built in the first place. I think every Dominican should be proud of the effort and the success of their development of the transportation system in such a short history. Also, I drove past this rockfall at about 5:45 after seeing some amazing streams of traffic coming toward me. I was going from Roseau to Portsmouth and didn’t expect anything unusual. Wow, was I wrong.
What I saw was an amazing achievement. People had responded very quickly to this situation which could have been a nightmare for all people who have to pass this stretch, but somehow the people you see in these pictures stepped in and worked very effectively and got that impossible barricade cleared within a very short time. I want to praise them and recognize their accomplishment. Thank you, folks, for clearing the highway I must use at least twice a day. I am grateful.
I hope you guys learned something from that,now it can be prevented, a returning wall needed to put in place,and government need to inspect other areas similar like this to put in place what needed to avoid these type of incident orccured.
‘retaining’ wall
thx God dat no vehicles got crashed……….. while going to work dis morning, i saw it but it was on the railing
The person is letting you know there is a god and we should also look out for each other.
It take an uneducated fool to know one
Why are these people standing there? Are they blind?
I mean look at the humongous rock which just came down and they standing there like they on the beach…….
Same observation Queen Bee. Our people put themselves in harms way all the time during disasters.
This segment of the West Coast Road has experienced rock slides for many years. It’s time to cut-shelve the cliff. This is one of our major road arteries. It needs to remain open and safe for the traveling public.
Thank you Jesus, our father in heaven.
thank you God
uneducated fools!!!!
ehh… of what relevance is this comment?????
Lord thanks for sparing the life of my husand,my daugther and I that stone almost took our life on the way to portsmouth yesterday. THERE IS A GOD ALMIGHTY HE HAS GREAT THINGS IN STORE FOR MY LITTLE FAMILY. Just think of that preparing to get married all over again in the next two months and just moved into our new home only spent one night there and hoping to see our little Diamond grow up by the grace of god. Now i left work early ask my husband to pick up our daughter so we could go to pick up some stuff on the port in Portsmouth and their is this slide coming down the montain at the same time am telling my husband to look out there is a slide in the road only to find out that A monster rock is coming down, we had time stop a truck i think it was a Astaphan sale truck they to could have died. GOD THANKS FOR ALL THE LIVES YOU HAVE SPARED.
Please spell God with a capital G always. He is not just another god, He is the one God.
Please note that that Prime Minister and three other minister pass there each day to and from work and no action has be taken to shelf the hill the problem is waiting to happen more slides and rock fall. There is a simple problem why it is taken so long to solve just cut shelf the hill like what the chinese did in tarreau
it should have stopped there so called “convoy” on there way to work
That’s just mean! He is human too don’t you have family?
Its the community of Coulibistrie are the ones refusing the people from cutting the road
I concur with all those who thank the good Lord for his guidance and mercy. However, not meaning to detract from this sober thought, I must ask. What responsibility do we place on the authorities in this incident? A gentleman has been on the radio on a daily basis even before works on the road started asking that attention be paid to these dangerous overhanging rocks. No notice was taken of his and I’m sure many others concern and pleas. So we truly need to thank God for his protection in the face of negligence on the part of those responsible. Now I expect to receive many thumbs down and severe chastisement from those who will claim that every thing is not politics but it bothers me not. The fact is that it remains to the politicians in office to attend to such issues and in this instance they, the government has failed miserably.
what better reason to give thanks to god.thinking aboult what could have harpened..and who say our island is curse,we have proof here that its not.god is watching over us
I totally agree that we do have more than enough proof showing that our island is indeed very blessed rather than cursed and the people who keep saying it is cursed are the ones who are putting the curse on us
#IJS
On the island on which I now reside, (SVG), we experienced a similar incident. In this case it was a landslide and an unfortunate female commuter was buried in her car. These things are most times unavoidable. Yes, we ought to express our thanks and praise to God for such mercies. However, we must prepare ourselves in the event that these incidences are fatal.First and foremost we need to establish a personal relationship with God through Jesus Christ. We do not know when, how and where we’ll die but we know that we have an appointment with death: so we should ensure that we are eternally save.I think that those who seek to blame the Government that their reasoning is somewhat weak.Unless their is a possibility of a bypass road the argument for blaming the Gov’t for not putting a warning sign on the road that commuters must ply is inconsequential.THANK GOD THAT THEIR WAS NO LOSS OF LIVES.
Thank God no one was hurt. But looking at this rock through the lens of another It is a beautiful Rock, I hope it will be placed where it would be appreciated and or make use of, I don’t think we have much of these lying around!!!.
That is some huge rock. Thanks be to God vehicles and pedestrians were not passing underneath at that time. It could have proved disastrous. This is liable to occur in rocky areas and where there are cliffs, especially after heavy rainfall. Always hope for the best. If only it were possible to build a wall which may prevent rocks from falling in such areas.
God is a good god
THANK U LORD NO ONE GOT HURT
good thing no one got caught in that
praise God for His unseen hands which guides and protects us even though we dont deserve it. great His faithfulness unto us
#PPL please read this#. I well leaving school friday……
and another is a good ting it fall n didn’t hurt no one…. Now dey should realize tht de hv to break in dt ting n expand de left side of d road cause dem big stone too close to de road and like anytime dat can cause a damage.
i think you should stay in school for a few more years for obvious reasons.
*Dead*
Child you should go to school, and I do mean it……..from ABC TO 123…..
i hope u graduate cause your grammar sucks
Work on the English for CXC.
dominica English. modern style. wow! lmao
Maybe you should have stayed late in school. Your English needs as much or even more work than the road.
It’s very sad that for someone leaving school your grammar and vocabulary is so poor…and don’t tell me is text language I sure you would do the same nonesense if you were asked to write a composition because some of you young people really do not care and IT IS SAD…Learn to speak and write properly children!
Well these “twenty-first century” young people will tell you that is the language of the day- shorten everything and spell anyhow(thanks to their constant texting)and they think its okay. They forget they hav to go out there and face the real world so all proper use of language is “out the window” In the twenty-first century our use of language should be improving and not regressing. SHAME on them and they graduating from high school.
Anyway I am glad no one got hurt when that rock fell that area is unstable so Ministry responsible needs to take note.
while what you said may have some sense to it, a lot off people did not understand because of the terrible grammar. please write so that a broader section off people can clearly understand what you are saying and the message you are trying to send out will therefore become more effective.
Why are these old people hating on the school boy modern English. Queens language is a things of the past. You guys have to get with the flow in the age of short hand and abbreviations. Who needs to spell out everything. All you need is a few letters and the reader will get it. I sure all did. Keep it going school boy, You are in, we are out.
I hope you are not a product of the much lauded USE programme because if you are we’re in deep trouble.
It’s amazing! most people did not comment on the content but on the structure. Their knee-jerk self-righteous responses spoke a lot about their mindset. How sure are you, that this is really a schoolboy and not a playful adult being facetious?
Praise the Lord, cause this could have been a real ….. pray folks give him thanks he has protected our people.
Thank you Jesus for guiding and protecting your children no one was injured.
god watch over dominica
there is a rock much larger than this pending to fall over the Dubic road. I can’t understand why the government not doing something about this before someone gets hurt or lose their life. It is so obvious that this will eventually come down. Our government too like to wait for disaster to happen before the necessary steps are taken to preserve life. For example the road which came apart in Pond Case. It is my understanding that the government was aware of the instability of that part of the road. We all saw it in the pic where a huge pipe of flowing water was directly under that piece of the road. We Dominicans are too quiet and accepting of nonsense that goes on in the country.
Have you filed a report alerting the appropriate officials?
I don’t think we should blame the government for everything people let us be fair. Our terrain in Dominica is simply prone to those things.
Yes they should be more keen and perhaps do a thorough and meticulous investigation around the island but maybe we can do our part by reporting to them any such area in our villages or communities and of course pray
Agreed! But the management of road networks? The buck stops and starts with appropriate government ministry. I don’t think it should be up to the average citizen to do assessments. Instead, I believe there are sufficient state-employed professionals who should be doing regular assessment of the network and producing schedules of road projects based on consideration of risks.
For those of us in Dominica who continue to believe that we are alive and healthy by our own strength, we need to look at that example, right here.
Jesus told us through His disciples: “Without Me you can do nothing” That is exactly what happened here with that rock fallen rock onto the road, where so many commuters in there vehicles go back and forth. We all should know why not one person was injured, much worst to be killed by such a mishap.
God is a Living God and because He is protecting the ignorant and the innocent–those of us who are plagued with the mentality of self-conceit, are also receiving His blessings of protection and guidance.
We need to humble ourselves and let God be our guidance from morning to night–around the clock!
Today He didn’t allow not even one soul to perish in such a mishap like this one–but will we remember to give Him the glory and honor?
Someone chose to complain, crying foul, about no warning sign–Dominica is a Land with a rugged landscape; how do we know where a rock is going to come from raging at us, that we might alert commuters?
But we have a God is watching out for us–as long as we allow Him to go with us on our way. Why can’t we allow His to do that as it gives Him the delights?
Well I am glad that God has called me to remind you that He wants the glory and the honor. If you know God and His Love, like I do; there is no way you can say that His intervention had nothing to do with this falling rock–for it was only His intervention that kept drivers away when the rock began to roll out of its place of that height.
God is good, all the time–but people of Dominica, do not call for His wrath! He throws the pitch for a strikeout, and no one can get a hit against Him–when He executes that wrath of His.
Let us give Him thanks, for His protection of lives, through such a dangerous mishap.
Guess he was asleep when the road crack the other day.
I am alive by my own strength thanks for the prayer though
You have just presented a typical slanted one sided version of the God of the Bible!What about the part that talks about smiting the unbelievers and sinners etc?Lots of them pass that area.
God created this material world for those souls who have chosen to rebel against Him .The soul is embodied in a temporary material body that is subject to Birth Death deasease misery etc.There is very little material happiness even if those embodied souls are continually striving to achieve it .Wake up sleeping souls reestablish Your relationship with God and return to His abode to live eternally in Harmony with Him.
@John Paul May 1, 2013 You have just presented a typical slanted one sided version of the God of the Bible!What about the part that talks about smiting the unbelievers and sinners etc?Lots of them pass that area.
If you are talking to me, and if you had read my message more carefully you would not have written that statement above–because you would notice that I said:
“God is a Living God and because He is protecting the ignorant and the innocent–those of us who are plagued with the mentality of self-conceit, are also receiving His blessings of protection and guidance”.
And so, there is no where that I presented a One Sided God, for I know the Power of His Holiness, without His Love in Jesus Christ, no human being would exist today. That is the reason I said He has chosen me among His other servants to blow the trumpet of disaster, so to alert those who refuse to take heed of His Word. Blessings.
Thank you Lord for watching over us.
This piece of mountain has been unstable for weeks yet no warning signs ( bill boards ) have been posted to the north and south locations whilst approaching the area . This is irresponsible and careless by the authorities . PLEASE MR MINISTER , COMMISSION WARNING SIGNS TO BE POSTED !
well said . Signs needs to be place waring Drivers
And the warning signs will sto the rocks from falling…..right?
I don’t even want to imagine what would happen if there were vehicles caught in this. Aylasss.. my prayers are with the island though I’m away.
I have read every comment so far, and everyone of them includes God in some way or other. Brothers and sisters, if you have not made God the Lord and Master of your life. If you have not made God your Adonai, please do so now. No one knows the time or the hour. Please pray with me, Father, I repent of my sins, I make you my Lord and Savior, please dwell in my heart. Incidents like this will happen, are you ready if it happens to YOU?
lord plz help us and watch over us!
Jehovah Raah, you are our shephard and guide. Thanks for making this incident just what it is….no one got hurt. Salah.
Praises to Jehovah for His protection
Lord Watch over us
OMG thank God no one got hurt.
Our roads are so risky with those falling rocks. There is really a God watching over us.
continue praying. St Christopher is our guide. Take one day from the week and give thanks to God
The Catholic church has removed St. Christopher as a saint in Heaven because they said there no proof of his good works.
Not so. The Catholic Church did not remove St. Christopher as a saint in Heaven. Saints in Heaven are there through the mercy and saving power of God. Once in Heaven, no one can remove them. He is still a saint in Heaven.
They probably looked through books and were not able to find certain information about him. Considering the length of time he died, who knows what happened to the information? He must have performed some good works which is why he was elevated – on earth – to sainthood which was long before our time including many of our ancestors. This, in no way diminishes him as being a saint. There are Catholics who continue to regard him as the saint/patron and protector of travelers. There is nothing wrong in praying to him for protection.
We cannot go wrong asking the saints to pray for us and to protect us, they, who were obedient to God on earth and merited Heaven. God knows we on earth need as many heavenly protectors as possible especially that the world is not what it used to be. There are many more dangers today in this valley (vale) of fears and tears.
@ Dominiquen
Thanks be to god, I am a faithful, practicing Catholic. I do my utmost to be well-read on Catholic matters. Therefore, I know more than you do and the other critics and enemies of the Catholic faith. I also do my utmost to enlighten some of you who are wanting in Catholic knowledge. You will not receive it from non-Catholics and those who renounced Catholicism. You are not experts on Catholic matters. There is more to Catholicism than meets the eye. If you only knew!
I have information pertaining to St. Christopher but would have to get it. St. Christopher helped people across dangerous paths as waters which prevented them from drowning and dying.
St. Christopher was once an atheist, a non-believer. Another I recall when he was talking to a King in those days. He observed the king make the Sign of the Cross. He asked the king why he did that. The holy king replied he saw Satan. St. Christopher, being a non-believer said, “you give allegiance (a word to that effect) to Satan, well I will join him.” What really happened was when the king made the Sign of the Cross, Satan ran away.
St. Christopher followed Satan. At one time they encountered a Cross and Satan ran away. St. Christopher asked him why he did that. Satan replied that he saw Jesus Christ on the Cross. St. Christopher was surprised. He decided to leave Satan to follow Our Lord Jesus Christ.
I had forgotten about the previous paragraph and it returned to my mind. I am stating that the Holy Spirit reminded me. Thanks be to God who wants the truth spread to all especially those who are naïve of the truth as they listen to false prophets and follow them and also depend on their own understanding.
Later, St. Christopher became a Catholic. Then he commenced performing good works, in Jesus Name. This is why he was canonized a saint in those days. You should know what Our Lord said, “The first will be last and the last will be first.”
Those who were once Catholics and renounced their faith are missing out on a lot of Catholic information which they did not previously know; likewise those who were not Catholics. Never renounce what you do not know and what you cannot prove. This is a grave error on the part of some of you. As I always say and it is a fact, the day will come when your eyes will be opened and you will see the truth and will regret it – the day when you are dying and you are faced with your eternal judgment. Pray to God for godly enlightenment in these matters.
My exact thoughts and concern after all that rain, that’s Dominica for real. Thank God there were no fatalities, be very careful my people.
its a very mountainous island, we have just experience some tricky weather,One day we will have safe road as what?…..the streets of NEW YORK…..? sometimes we just need to cool it a little…..lets just give praise looking at the sight , it could have beeen worst, no one got hurt, so just give thanks and …. ..
Sometimes people forget where they live. I am thankful that no one got hurt.
thank you some of them try to blame everything on government.thats the land of dominica.it will continue to have landslides.
I agree with you all -its just the physical nature of our island. The government cannot be blamed for that.
This always happens
Now that is what I call a rock! I suspect the road under it got a gost blass. Amazing and what a blessing too that no one was hurt by this event.
Oh my God can you believe this? can you imagine if not only one but more vehicles were in that area at that exact moment? it would have been catastrophic but thank God for his mercies and grace and his devine direction and protection towards an ungrateful and stiffnecked people. Thank you Jesus!!
one day///// we will have safe roads/
True wii by cutting down every mountain and throwing it into the sea. Is now people will start fight for land. Are u 4 real?
Damn I jus passed there…praise God….
I could be in this exact spot when that rock was falling. But thanks to GOD, I had to stop on my way down to pick up something and it took me five minutes. When i was in this area only 3 vehicles were in front of me and the last one the driver had just left his vehicle to go and watch. I always afraid of that area and do not understand why authorities not blocking the road for couple of hours during weekend to remove all rocks that can fall. This situation has been there for month now and just 3 red road cones are warning you of the danger. Hope authorities are not waiting for a tragic event occurs there to react.
Papa God! wow! is this a trap that happening in DA
The east way to town was block last week? now the west?
Lord is a good thing no Vehicle was passing there
oh lord!
Give thanks and praise that no one was injured
Thank God no one got hurt, My family lives close by.
Girl and the person in the road throwing stone is me and Franco had just helped to push others aside for transport to pass . I was on the scene right away!
it was one like this that almost kill me some years ago and it is still at the back of the Police station, Coulibistrie is blessed God always comes through for us
OMG….God guide and protect our people. Thank God no one was hurt.
Wow is this amazing or what
God bless no vehicles got trapped in this