Bermudians living in Kingston Jamaica said that despite the violence in some of the city's ghettos many were going about their normal routines.

Yesterday was the third day of violence since Prime Minister Bruce Golding said Jamaica would comply with an extradition request from the US for one of the island's most notorious alleged drug dealers, Christopher 'Dudus' Coke, who has been likened to Robin Hood in his poor area.

At press time last night 26 civilians, two police officers and a soldier have been killed as a result of the massive manhunt underway in one of the poorer areas of the nation's capital, Tivoli Gardens. Jamaican media reported Mr. Coke was still at large last night.

The American government has asked that Mr. Coke be brought to the US to face charges for selling crack cocaine and cannabis and trafficking weapons.

The US Justice Department describes him as "one of the world's most dangerous narcotics kingpins". Initially the Government declined to comply with the extradition order.

However, Prime Minister Bruce Golding, who represents the constituency where Mr. Coke lives, decided to comply with the extradition after mounting international pressure.

Mr. Coke. 41, is described by the Jamaican media as a Robin Hood figure who uses his alleged drug money to feed and educate poor people within his community.

His gang, the Shower Posse is known to shower people with bullets from automatic rifles. His supporters within the Tivoli area have blockaded Police out in order to protect Mr. Coke, some saying they are willing to die for them.

Bermudian Zina Edwards Malcolm works in PR in Kingston.

Last night she told The Royal Gazette people are trying to go about their daily lives in the rest of Kingston "It is really only happening in a small area, western Kingston," she said over the phone as shots could be heard in the background.

"But there is concern it could spread as we have heard that [gangs in other neighbourhoods] are all working together. I was hoping they would find him today, but they did not.

"Many of the companies are still open. Mine is because my boss said it is important Jamaica stays open. He said he did not want to close and let the thugs win.

"I stayed home from work today as I do not have transportation and I did not want to get stuck anywhere, so I worked from home.

"My husband works for the Jamaican Library Services in Spanish Town and he did not work today. He will probably not work for the rest of the week as the library is closed.

Mrs. Edwards Malcolm, who has been living in Jamaica for three years and visits Bermuda regularly, said she did not expect the violence to explode as it had.

"When the US announced the extradition some people in my office were like 'if this happens get out of the city'," she said. "I didn't understand. And last Thursday when the Prime Minister said he was going to make an announcement rumours started spreading that it was about Christopher Coke.

"It took three hours to get home that night as everyone was in a rush to leave the city." Since the violence started she has been watching reports online and said Jamaican media have portrayed a bleak existence behind the barricades in Tivoli.

"People can't see where the shooting is coming from," she said. "I saw a TV report and behind the reporter someone was just shot."

Jamaica has an annual murder rate of about 1,500 in a population of less than three million, making it one of the most violent countries in the world, on par with South Africa and Colombia.

Samantha Nateisha Smythe is another Bermudian currently living in Kingston where she attends school, she described the city as two different worlds.

"Where I am everyone is working, going on with normal life, but downtown areas are bad," she said. "It is not just protecting one man it is a lot of history behind it and the Government is to be blamed."

Ms Smythe claimed Jamaica suffered from classism and rampant political corruption, and that those were the roots of the civil unrest.

"I have been here for two years now and this whole thing has been in play for almost a year now," she claims. "It was bound to happen and I am glad it did to finally expose the corruption in the political system. Trust me it is bad!"

Both international media and local media have claimed that Mr. Coke has close ties to the Jamaican Labour Party.

And last week the Prime Minister admitted Government had hired a US lobbying firm, Manatt, Phelps & Phillips, to try to have the extradition order overturned.

"I regret the entire affair," he said in a statement. "In hindsight, the party should never have been involved and I should never have allowed it."

While parts of Kingston are under siege violence has not spread across the country and popular resort areas such as Montego Bay and Ocho Rios continue to operate as normal.