Hurricane results in prison break; security on alert

By Davion Smith, BVI News Online Journalist

Local and international security forces in the British Virgin Islands have confirmed reports that a number of prisoners are now at large after escaping from Her Majesty’s Prison when Hurricane Irma struck the territory and damaged sections of the Tortola-based lock-up last week.

Lieutenant Nicholas Foster of the Royal Marines told BVI News Online yesterday that, coupled with its hurricane relief efforts, the military is scouring the territory in search of escapees.

“The general game plan basically; we are here to support the British Virgin Islands police. So we are helping them, first of all, in providing security – trying to stop the looting and trying to secure the escaped prisoners,” Foster said.

The army man added: “On top of that we are then working alongside DFID (Department of International Development) who are providing all the aid. We are going to distribute a lot of food and water to get you guys back up and running as soon as possible.”

Meanwhile, a number of other security forces from the United Kingdom and the wider Caribbean have rallied to the aid of the BVI which was rocked by the aforementioned Category 5 hurricane.

They include the Royal Cayman Islands Police Force, the Royal Marines, the Trinidad & Tobago Defence Force, among others.