By NALINEE SEELAL Sunday, July 27 2008

Hundreds of worshippers attending a crusade at Rose Park, Arima, were sent scampering in fright yesterday when fierce winds blew away a tent during a freak storm.

Eleven persons suffered injuries and were treated at the Arima Hospital for broken limbs and cuts.

The incident occurred while worshippers were singing praises to God at about 11 am yesterday. The heavens opened up, dumping heavy rainfall, uprooting a huge tree, and gusty winds blew away a tent where hundreds were standing with arms upraised.

Nearby, a fallen tree crashed into three cars which were completely destroyed.

Pastor Emmanuel Peters of the Caribbean Conference of Seventh Day Adventist Church said the incident happened so quickly worshippers were unsure how to respond when the tree was uprooted and the tent was blown away.

He told Newsday, “Shortly after 11 am, we had finished two sessions of the service and were engaged in the singing session, when the rain started falling, dumping huge drops of rainfall, and within minutes, a strange sound was heard, followed by strong winds which blew away a tent where hundreds were standing.”

He said after the tent collapsed, people panicked and began scampering to safety, trampling and injuring others in the process.

He confirmed that three persons suffered broken legs while others received minor injuries. Peters said other pastors assisted in restoring calm.

Worshippers in two other tents also fled on seeing the collapse of one of the three tents.

One of the persons who escaped injuries told Newsday that he was deep in prayer, when the winds started blowing heavily and then the tent came crashing down.

“I opened my eyes and the first thing I did was try to get out and I did without a scratch,” he said. The man who did not wish to be identified said it was a frightening experience but he was thankful that no one was seriously injured.

When Sunday Newsday visited the scene of the accident, several worshippers were seen trying to erect the fallen tent, while others surveyed the damage of the three cars.

Peters said that to the inclement weather a decision was taken to continue the crusade at the Arima Seventh Day Adventist Church on Wednesday. He said that holding crusades during the rainy season is something which the church will have to discuss in the interest of safety to worshippers.

Yesterday, several roofs of homes were blown away in Arima, Tunapuna, Mon Repos, Morvant, Cascade and Belmont. Trees were felled along the North Coast Road and in hilly areas.

At Rudolph Charles Link Road, Gonzales, a fallen tree downed electricity lines causing the area to be without a supply. In Cascade several boulders were washed down the hills onto the roadway and subsequently were removed by residents.

Yesterday, officials of the MET office said the inclement condition is normal rainy season weather.

Meteorologist Albert Alexander confirmed the so-called “stormy” weather reported across various parts of the country but said the weather pattern is commonly associated with the Inter-Tropical Convergence Zone (ITCZ). He added the weather should have subsided by late yesterday, but it will continue to be very overcast followed by light rain today.

Several parts of the country also experienced flash flooding yesterday.