Updated

Officials say a veteran Jamaican lawmaker who served as the island's agriculture and fisheries minister has died in Florida where he traveled to receive treatment for a back condition.

The prime minister's office says Roger Clarke experienced chest pains Thursday while waiting for a flight at Miami International Airport.

Officials say an ambulance took him to the University of Miami Hospital where he was pronounced dead around noon.

Officials on both sides of Jamaica's political divide are expressing sadness at the news of his death. Prime Minister Portia Simpson Miller says Clarke was a rare politician "who was loved not only by members of his party but people on the other side."

The U.S. Embassy in Kingston says Clarke led Jamaica's agriculture sector with experience and "deep knowledge."