Accidents & Disasters

The NGC shares their solidarity for the people of St. Vincent and the Grenadines who continue to be affected by the volcano’s eruption and are seeking the assistance of the public for financial contributions. Any contribution can deposit into the National Garifuna Council Scotiabank account number 1939304. Monies collected will then be forwarded to their partners in St. Vincent on behalf of Belize.

The Government of Belize has pledged a contribution of US$50,000 to the Government and people of St. Vincent and the Grenadines to aid in relief efforts as our CARICOM sister nation continues to endure volcanic activity following the first explosive eruption of the La Soufrière volcano on Friday, April 9, 2021.

A female American tourist identified as 72-year-old Mona Bhatti died on Monday, March 29th, while on a diving tour off San Pedro Town's coast. The deceased, a medical doctor, reportedly felt ill and became unresponsive. By the time she was rushed back to the island for medical attention, she had passed away.

Four years after her tragic death, Rickilee Mercer was honored on Sunday, February 28th, with a short activity at Secret Beach north of San Pedro Town, Ambergris Caye, the place she was last seen alive. Her unfortunate death, which was ruled as an accident after falling off a jet ski, gave birth to the Rickilee Response and Rescue or Triple R, a team that responds to road and water accidents/emergencies on the island.

In a ceremony today at the San Ignacio Town Council Hall, U.S. Embassy Belmopan and its implementing partner UNICEF handed over emergency response kits to Belize’s National Emergency Management Organization (NEMO) and the Belize Red Cross. These kits were purchased through an ongoing $300,000 United States Agency for International Development (USAID) grant to UNICEF launched in August to assist UNICEF in its work to reduce the risk and impact of COVID-19 on vulnerable children and adolescents in Belize. These kits – which include food and hygiene items – will be distributed to 354 families from regions in the Cayo District that were most severely impacted by flooding from Hurricanes Eta and Iota.

On December 2, 2020, H.E. Remus Li-Kuo Chen, Ambassador of the Republic of China (Taiwan) to Belize, presented a grant in the sum of US$100,000 to assist Belize in the repair of flood damage caused by the passage of Hurricanes Eta and Iota. The donation was received by Hon. Christopher Coye, Minister of State in the Ministry of Finance, Economic Development and Investment.

On Tuesday, November 24th the sailboat belonging to Travis Gates was found "on anchor" at the north tip of Cabo Tres Puntas, Guatemala, with nobody on board. Both Gates and the sailboat's dinghy were missing and after days of exhaustive searching Gates has yet to be found.

On Thursday, November 19th, 2020, the Prime Minister Hon. John Briceno, and Hon. Jose Abelardo Mai, Minister of Agriculture, Food Security and Enterprise, visited Maypen Village in the Belize District to get a firsthand look at the situation involving cattle rescue due to flooding.