PORTLAND accident victim Aaron 'Chippie' Lewis' body was barely in the morgue before some of his Port Antonio neighbours allegedly entered his shop and cleaned out his Christmas stock.

And the town's former mayor, Benny White, is not amused. He told the Sunday Observer that as soon as word reached the district of Comfort Castle that Lewis had succumbed to his injuries, unscrupulous persons looted the shop and cleaned out all its contents.

A dejected Benny White points to the shop which he said was looted by vandals in Comfort Castle, Portland as soon as word reached the community that its owner, Aaron 'Chippie' Lewis, had died from injuries received in an accident which claimed 14 lives two weeks ago. (Photo: Karyl Walker)

"I feel very ashamed that in the midst of grief, to really know that people within the same community could end up robbing one of the deceased who own a shop. He stocked up for Christmas and by the time people heard he (had) died, the same night, they went into the shop and cleaned out everything, They did not even leave the empty bottles," a despondent White said.

Eight of the 14 people who died in the December 20 accident were from the farming district of Mill Bank.

White also bemoaned the fact that while victims were suffering and dead at the scene of the accident, others were busy cleaning out their pockets, stealing money and cellular phones.

"It's not that it happened in Westmoreland, where nobody don't know them. Everybody knew who the people were and they still robbed them. The people who did this are heartless and without morals. It really hurts," White said.

He also said persons in Mill Bank had broken into the home of injured farmer, Linford Jackson, and stolen his spray pan and other items. Jackson is now recuperating in the St Ann's Bay Hospital.

Last Tuesday, Jackson told the Daily Observer he was robbed of his cellular phone by a man who assisted in lifting him out of the ravine on a crude stretcher after the spill.

The Portland police have since launched an investigation into reports that victims of the accident were robbed.

Meanwhile, residents of Mill Bank say the tragedy will result in a loss of income for most members of the community. Eight residents of that district were killed in the accident and, according to the residents, the dead were the ones who would buy their produce wholesale and sell at a profit in the market.

"They were all higglers who were vital to the economy of this area. They bought goods from the farmers and made money for everybody. Now that they have died, the people are wondering who is going to take their produce off their hands as only two persons are left who do that, and they can't buy from everybody," White said.