Scores of residents in Coopers Pen, Trelawny, were left scrambling for their belongings Tuesday morning after their homes were demolished in a pre-dawn operation that caught the community off guard.

Residents said they were jolted awake about 3 a.m. by the roar of heavy-duty equipment as workmen moved through the community and began tearing down houses.

By daylight, about 25 homes had reportedly been demolished, leaving scores of residents displaced and wondering where they will go next.