‘Dead we woulda dead’ - Woman recalls narrowly missing death after house collapsed on her roof

Last October, Joan Richardson went home and saw her roof in bits and pieces on the floor.

She stood in debris, choked on dust that clogged the air, and when she looked up, all she saw was the sky.

The house next door had collapsed on top of Richardson's house, completely destroying the ceiling and everything inside. Three large rocks ended up on her bed.

Richardson is certain that if she or her children were home at the time, they would all have been killed.

"One man own house ova deh so and the whole a it drop ina me house! It mash up me bed, mash up me dresser, mash up me tings dem. Me afi dash weh everything! Di bed split ina two ... if we did in deh, a dead we woulda dead," the Mark Lane, Kingston, resident told THE STAR.

She said that the owner of the property had promised to assist her since Christmas, but no help has been forthcoming.

Five children

When THE STAR contacted the man she said owned the property, he denied all her claims and refused to make a comment.

Presently, Richardson is sheltered merely by a tarpaulin that she has spread over a couple of damaged walls that are still standing.

But this doesn't help as the occupants are still pelted by the sun and wet by rain.

Richardson has five children, and currently, only two of them live with her. She has only been able to acquire one single-model bed.

"Two a me son dem live wid me. One a 15 and one a 26. Right now, me afi hol a likkle bed and all a we caa hol pon it one time. When me big son a sleep, me a go out a road all 1 o'clock a morning cause me caa hol pon the bed," she said.

Richardson recalled that on the fateful day, she woke up with a bad feeling about the house.

"Di Tuesday morning me feel it and tell me son seh me nah sleep in yah cause me nuh know how me wake up and feel so! Me feel the vibes! Me tell dem (sons) seh we nah stay in deh ... no way! Me lef the night and reach a one nine night and hear people run come tell me seh 'Yuh house tumble dung'. Me say thank yuh, Jesus! Everybody a think seh we dead in deh but a only di empty bed dem come see," she recalled.

Anyone seeking to assist Richardson can contact her at 876-331-6300.