And moving now to Burrell Boom Village, where a family of five is without a home tonight after theirs collapsed early this morning.
Merlin Hob had been living at the home for about 25 years, but over time, the wooden beams supporting it deteriorated. And right at the start of the rainy season, the beams gave way, forcing the family to evacuate - but only after a refrigerator fell on one of the children.
Now, Hob and her four youngest children still living at home are without a permanent roof over their heads and they're asking the public for assistance to help them rebuild. Courtney Menzies has the story.
These are the possessions of the Hob family, strewn across their yard after their house fell off the wooden beams that held it up early this morning.
The structure came crashing down, crushing the family's washing machine and an old stove.
Merlin Hob explained that she felt the house leaning significantly last night and knew that it was only a matter of time before it fell.
And when it did, the first thing she thought of was her son.
Merlin Hob, Owner of Collapsed House
"We were sleeping and when I got up, I saw it was almost time for school, but I was wondering if I should send them because it was raining, but then I heard a lot of noise and I realised the house was falling because it started to shake and rocking at the same time. So I try hurry come out because my son was sleeping in the hall, in front of the refrigerator and last night, before I went to sleep, I told him, this house will soon fall, so I told him, if you will sleep outside, please not too close to the ref ridge. So when I hear everything, the first thing my mind went to, was that he got crushed by the refridge so I hurry tried coming out, but I couldn't, because the door got stuck in the room. The refridge did fall on his hand and his foot."
Courtney Menzies:
"Is he hurt badly?"
Merlin Hob, Owner of Collapsed House
"No, it only hurt him to walk and it's red."
But other than that, Hob and her kids managed to escape the falling house without major injuries.
But the hardest part was taking out the appliances out of a lopsided home with a broken staircase and a collapsed verandah.
Merlin Hob, Owner of Collapsed House
"We had a little verandah and the steps reached to here because the house came forward, it separated far from where [it was]. You could see the last post at the back where it was, it came off from it far. So we took off all of that and we had a little kitchen, even that drop, that was the roof for the kitchen."
"My son that stayed with me, because it's the five kids and me, he started to help, between him and my older son, they started to help bringing out everything. The refridge and what they could bring out."
So with all their belongings in the yard, and a house they can't live in, the family is trying to figure out its next move. Hob explained that for the night, they will be staying at Belize City - but they can only carry clothes, leaving the rest of their appliances.
They need to rebuild fast and so they're asking for any help from the public - whether it be in building materials or manual labor.
Merlin Hob, Owner of Collapsed House
"If they could help with the house, at least help us put it up a little. Anything would be- we would be happy for the assistance."
Courtney Menzies:
"Anything else got damaged in the house that needs to be replaced?"
Merlin Hob, Owner of Collapsed House
"Only the washing machine, only that broke. Because everything fell on it because like how I had the kitchen outside, only that broke."
If you want to assist this family, Merlin Hob can be reached at 600-7266.
