Anarchy In Paradise

It was an act of God that devastated St. Croix last week, blowing houses into splinters, closing down the hospital, shutting off water and electricity, leaving residents and tourists in a state of panic. But the island's second wave of destruction was the work of man. When the skies cleared, locals armed with rifles, guns and machetes plundered the ravaged streets of Christiansted and Frederiksted, helping themselves not just to necessities like food and water but also to TV sets, liquor and clothing. As days passed and no outside help came, the looting spread. Thieves browsed through merchandise, trying on sneakers...

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