Kingston, Jamaica — 17 January 2026
Jamaicans are being encouraged to report suspected breaches of the national building code as concerns about seismic risk and construction standards return to public attention following a minor earthquake felt in parts of St Andrew this week. The call comes from the Kingston and St Andrew Municipal Corporation, which says public reporting is a critical layer of oversight in a country exposed to earthquakes, flooding, and increasingly intense weather events.
The tremor, recorded late Thursday night, was small in magnitude but served as a reminder that Jamaica sits within an active seismic zone. While no damage was reported, the event has renewed focus on how and where buildings are constructed, particularly in vulnerable locations such as gullies, slopes, and reclaimed or unstable land.
Public reporting as part of enforcement
The municipal corporation says members of the public can submit complaints about suspected building code breaches through its onlin…
