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A 65-year-old man is reportedly murdered during home invasion.

Police are still on the scene but Newscenter 5 understands Monan Hardeo was killed by bandits who stormed his Caroni Savannah Road home during the early hours of this morning.

Investigations have so far revealed that the family was awakened at around 2:30 am by an intruder.

The assailant described as being of African descent and armed, announced a hold up.

However Mr. Hardeo’s 38-year-old son challenged the bandit and a struggle ensued.

A gunshot was heard and Mr. Hardeo senior fell to the ground.

The intruder ten fled the scene.

Mr. Hardeo died before receiving medical attention.

Investigations are underway.

The search for 2-year-old Allon Ramdial continues.

Hunters Search and Rescue team’s captain, Vallence Rambharat said earlier members will keep looking for the boy until they find him.

The toddler’s mother, 19-year-old Cristianna Ramdial, says she discovered her son was missing last Friday about 6 a.m.

Mr. Ramdial says she immediately started looking for him and asked her neighbours for assistance, but he was nowhere to be found.

Only a few steps separate the mother and child from the jetty in Ortoire Village, where they live in a room at a fishing port facility.

Up to earlier today there was no sight of Allon.

Opposition Member of Parliament for Naparima Rodney Charles says the country needs more than a day of prayer.

He yesterday said that a plan and a proper strategy is what is needed at this time.

The MP said faith by itself does not work.

He was speaking at media conference of the United National Congress yesterday.

The deaths and woundings occurred before the declared National Day of Prayer and after.

The Prime Minister announced the observance last week.

Religious leaders and Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowley gathered at the Diplomatic Center for a National Service of Reflection and Thanksgiving.

Roman Catholic Archbishop Jason Gordon said yesterday Trinidad and Tobago is a traumatised place.

He said the country’s anger is boiling over on the streets, homes and schools.

Also lamenting the challenges of the country were Hindu Leader, Dr Rampersad Parasram and Imam Maulana Atif Majeed Suliamani.

Dr. Rowley told the country there have been hard times before and they will come to end.

This as he puts into perspective the ravishing effects of COVID 19 and its measures.

The Prime Minister yesterday said that this too shall pass.

Dr. Rowley like many Christian Clerics yesterday turned to the book of psalms for reference.

He also encouraged persons to see religious leaders as being part of the solution to what is wrong.

There have been 5 weekend killings and 3 wounded in Trinidad and Tobago.

The incidents occurred in Wallerfield, San Fernando, Point Fortin, Diego Martin and Marabella.

Among the weekend deaths was Ricky Worrell, of Marabella.

His nude body was seen floating in the Gulf of Paria at around 4am on Saturday.

On Saturday night, a 22-year-old man from Marabella was fatally stabbed to death and another wounded in the same incident.

Police say Tyrone Howe, was at the Marabella Recreation Ground at around 7pm when he was attacked.

Another resident, identified as Mikel Rawlins, attempted to intervene but was also stabbed.

Mr. Howe died at the scene while Mr. Rawlings remains warded at the hospital.

Three hours later, at King’s Wharf San Fernando, Kerry Perrot and Joshua Codringhton were shot dead.

Officers also found a 3^rd victim nursing gunshot wounds. 

He has been identified as Simon De Vignes.

And last night police reported a fatal shooting in Point Fortin.

Details surrounding the incident remain unclear and lawmen are yet to positively identify the male victim but police say the man was at Chill Restaurant & Bar last night when he was shot.  

Meanwhile 2 Chinese nationals remain in serious condition following a shooting in Antigua Road, Wallerfeild last evening.

The male and female victims were said to be seated in a Tiida when gunmen attacked them.

Both were shot about the body.

Up to news time this morning both victims were said to be in critical condition.

Paria challenges a claim by Managing Director of Land and Marine Contracting Services Ltd, Kazim Ali Senior that he and his team were locked out of Paria when divers died in the pipeline.

Mr. Ali Snr, who is also the owner of LMCS, was under examination by Paria’s attorney Gilbert Peterson at the Commission of Enquiry yesterday.

Fyzal Kurban, Kazim Ali Jr, Rishi Nagassar and Yusuf Henry passed away inside the pipeline at Berth 6 in Point-a-Pierre.

Christopher Boodram was the lone survivor.

Mr. Ali is the father of Kazim Ali Jr. who perished in the pipeline.

He told the Commission yesterday, had Paria acted within the hour of 5 workers being sucked into the sea line, they would have survived.

He also said he and his team were prevented from assisting.

However, Mr. Peterson was not pleased that Paria’s Terminal Manager Collin Piper was being linked to those instructions.

At this point, Commission Chairman King’s Counsel Jerome Lynch intervened.

Throughout the enquiry, there were some discrepancies and confusion regarding the terminology and understanding of the operations of the pipelines and the manner in which oil is displaced by air pumping and blowing between the lines.

Along with this confusion of the pipeline operations, the equipment being used to show the court, lawyers and other members of the hearing the core bundles and statements, were dysfunctional which further delayed the progression of the hearing.

A tragic accident in Freeport claims the life of a truck driver.

The victim has been identified as Nigel Rampersad.

He was 43-years-old and a father of 4 children.

Reports say the incident took place on the compound of Sampson’s Transport Company Limited at Mission Road in Freeport shortly after 6pm last evening.

Newscenter 5 understands Mr. Rampersad was driving a truck registration TBX 2608 while towing a trailer registration TBL 5404 on the company’s compound.

It is said the truck reportedly jack-knifed causing the container to fall onto the right side of the truck’s cabin, crushing Mr. Rampersad to death.

A man accused of murder 16 years ago, is freed.

Ricardo Gittens, was 15-years-old at the time when a man reportedly demanded to have sex with him.

According to reports, one November night in 2005, four people were liming at a house in Arima drinking puncheon when one of them, identified as 45-year-old Joseph Self, indicated he wanted to have sex with another member of the group, a 15-year-old boy.

It said the boy and the other 2 group members then stabbed and chopped the man before pouring gasoline on his body, setting him ablaze and threw him over a precipice.

The release order was made by Justice Lisa Ramsumair-Hinds who ruled that Mr. Gittens, now 36, be released from prison after spending more than 16 years on remand awaiting trial.

He had pleaded guilty to the crime earlier this year.

While the mandatory sentence for capital murder is death by hanging, it does not apply to minors.

However even though he was ordered to be released, Justice Ramsumair-Hinds said this did not mean she had not taken into consideration the magnitude and darkness of the death suffered by Mr. Self.

The government is pumping 40 million dollars into a Flood Relief Fund aimed at helping those directly affected by a devastating weather emergency.

After days of floods and cries for help in some communities the government responded yesterday via a cabinet decision.

The Office of the Prime Minister yesterday said the 40 million dollars would augment existing budgetary allocations in relevant Ministries to provide sustenance and comfort to the people most affected.

The OPM says additionally, a one hundred million dollar allocation has been made for urgent landslide and road reinstatement works nationwide.

It says ten million dollars will also be made available to assist the farming community that has been adversely affected by the recent flooding.