By Stacey Davidson
Guyana Chronicle
April 11, 2001

AS THE fires raged through Robb and Regent streets in Georgetown Monday night, many persons hoped that it would be just a nightmare from which they would eventually awake.

But the stark reality that faced city dwellers yesterday morning told a chilling tale, and one that will rest indelibly on the minds of Guyanese people, both at home and abroad.

Witnesses said yesterday that the fire was deliberately set at the AH&L Kissoon's furniture store at the corner of Camp and Robb streets.

They said some young men broke the glass show window and hurled burning objects inside and soon the building was on fire.

The flames spread to other buildings and more than a dozen businesses and a few residential properties worth billions of dollars went up in flames, leaving scores or persons jobless; several business persons heavily indebted and the landscape of the city of Georgetown ravaged and looking war-torn.

At the scene yesterday morning, the Guyana Power and Light Company had already deployed five trucks and linesmen were working feverishly to restore power to the area.

Throughout yesterday embers of many of the buildings along Regent Street were still smoking, some smouldering; and firemen's hoses were still strewn about the ground, in preparedness for any eventuality.

At some of the buildings, proprietors and their relatives, with painful hearts, combed through the debris, but finding precious little that could be of any use to them.

Police barricades remained in place, and throughout the day, police ranks maintained a visible and vigilant presence at the scene of the massive fire.

The Guyana Bank for Trade and Industry opposite Bhena's Footwear Store on Regent Street was open for business, but based on customer response, it was definitely not 'business as usual'.

At the nearby COURTS Furniture Store on Regent and Camp Street, workers reported for duty, but because of the barricades, customers kept a reasonable distance. All other businesses in that block were closed for the day and protesters continued marching through the streets bordering the ravaged block, and chanting slogans.

The National Bank of Industry and Commerce on Camp Street was closed for business as workmen were busy effecting minor repairs. Customers were advised to do their transactions at the Water Street branch pending further notice.

Manager, Mr. Ray Ramlal confirmed that there was no destruction on the inside of the building, and said that he could not determine the extent of the damage on the outside.

"We'll have to leave it to the professional people to do the evaluation," he said.

The Automated Teller Machine service on Camp Street was affected by the fire, and was out of service.

Ramlal said NBIC is trying to restore business operations at the Camp Street branch with minimum delay. He said the ATM service would be back on stream as soon as the Guyana Telephone and Telegraph Company (GT&T) could reconnect the telephone lines and the Guyana Power and Light Company restore power.

Mr. Kumar Singh, proprietor of Globe Enterprise Variety store is in the United States on business and had already purchased stocks for his store.

He was shocked when relatives phoned him Monday night to break the harrowing news. His grieving sister Rita Budhram said the news left him dumbfounded.

Rita said she was on her way to classes at the Critchlow Labour College when she heard about the fire and looked up to see the thick black smoke. She diverted, picked up her 15-year-old son and headed down to the store in a bid to save items.

She said she was convinced they could have saved things, had the building been broken from the back, but added that no one paid her any heed.

Proprietor of Sooksons Fabric Variety Store, garment factory and Cambio, Mr. Ramnauth Sookraj and his family, looking bewildered, lingered around the site for hours, quietly bemoaning their losses.

His son-in-law, Mr Jerome Khan was with them as they combed the debris.

Meanwhile, Sookraj's tearful daughter Sharon who managed the cambio, fighting hard to hold back tears said that absolutely nothing was saved - a safe with millions of dollars in local and foreign currency, their documents, cheques - all went up in flames.

In a shaky voice she related: "We've lost everything, our garment factory, the cambio, our cash, our stocks, our building."

Sookraj said that they had only on Saturday brought in fresh stocks for the Easter holidays. The Sookraj family owned the business there for the last 40 years and at the time of the fire had about 26 employees.

Proprietor of the Lotus Restaurant, Chow Wai Hung lamented that half his business and home above the building had been destroyed. Losses included a refrigerator, a cylinder of gas which had exploded, clothing, furniture, and food stocks.

He said items not destroyed by fire were destroyed by water.

Around mid-morning, officials of the Guyana Agricultural and General Workers Union (GAWU) briefed the media on their losses and plans to move forward.

General Secretary of the Guyana Rice Producers Association (GAPA), Mr. Dharam Kumar said the association had suffered tremendous losses.

He said that the network, both electronic, telecommunication and radio and contact with their overseas partners was destroyed. Records, furniture and equipment were also destroyed.

He explained that from that head office contact was maintained with branch offices and related agencies throughout Guyana to carry out the work of providing extension services and looking after the interest of rice producers.

Noting that they were now without a base, Kumar said the immediate priority would be to identify a location from which to operate.

"But it will be tremendously difficult to pick up somewhere at this time."

He recalled the kudos GRPA had received from agencies at home and internationally for a remarkable job that "surpassed all other counterparts."

"Our strength is in our rural branches," he said as he outlined the need to maintain the link with them.

Over in Robb Street, dislocated families who on Monday night were out in the streets with their belongings had yesterday moved back into their homes.

But the proprietor of Archies' Electrical and his family who lived above their business premises were still seeking refuge at relatives in the city.

They saved nothing, even their prized Doberman, Alsatian and German Shepherd dogs were burnt in the inferno.

His brother-in-law, Andre Legall said they were forced to break the windows to their vehicles to access the ignition keys to move them away from the scene of the fire. He said even as they tried to get back into the house, visibility was severely reduced and thick smoke forced them back. All family members including a two-year-old were subjected to the ordeal.

Owners of Tau-am Associates and a nearby pharmacy could not be reached for a comment.

However, a terribly aggrieved employee of GuyEnterprise who said his entire home in Regent Street aback of Kirpalani's, as well as his brother's Dental Workshop at the front, were destroyed was in deep anguish.

Neil Pickering, who said he lived at the premises for 42 years, said he "lost everything."

"My wife and children at her relatives, but I can't go there and choke them up. This ain't fair," he complained.