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Body of Shooters Hill teen found

Published:Saturday | October 24, 2020 | 11:22 AMJonielle Daley/Gleaner Writer
Sixty-six year-old Icilda Nembhard is comforted, as she laments the damage to her house in Shooters Hill, east rural St Andrew, caused by a landslide yesterday morning that killed one person. A search and rescue mission is on for a teenage girl, who has been missing since the incident.

The body of 15 year-old Saneeka Leachman, who went missing yesterday morning, following a deluge, which caused a wall to collapse on the board dwelling she and her father occupied, has been found.

Our sister radio station, Radio Jamaica, reported that the child's body was found about 11:30 a.m.

Her father, 42 year-old Romeo Leachman, also died in the incident. 

When The Gleaner visited the area this morning, anxious and visibly distraught residents were pleading for more assistance from the authorities with searching for 15 year-old. The residents said they had been searching since 5:30 a.m., and argued that more heavy rainfall could have caused further land slippages that would make search and rescue activities more difficult. 

However, the Jamaica Fire Brigade arrived at about 10:35 a.m. to assist with the search and rescue. 

Meanwhile, other residents are picking up the pieces following yesterday's tragedy.

Icilda Nembhard,  whose house was also damaged by yesterday morning's landslide, said she had been up all night, as her house remained flooded and without electricity and water. 

"From them see the [weather clear] up, they should have been here earlier to find her. It's bad. Me devastated," said the 66 year-old. "We lost a life."

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