Footwear, fabric chain bond razed
|
Footwear, fabric chain bond razed
Damage put at hundreds of millionsBy Oscar P. Clarke and Desiree Jodah
Stabroek News
September 19, 2000
The Panday family say they lost several hundred million in a mid-morning fire yesterday which ravaged three buildings in Water Street, destroying fabrics, footwear and office equipment in the process.
A pall hung over the city as thick black smoke from the fire which ate into the buildings of the compound at the corners of Water, Bentinck and Mundy streets, belched into an overcast sky. And when it was over, the three buildings which were used to stockpile fabrics and footwear and housed offices for the Ravina, Davina, Anand, Avinash and Avishkar chain of stores, were almost completely demolished.
The fire which started at about 0845 hrs spread rapidly through the bond situated at the old Guyana Gajraj complex. Flames licked at the old wood eating its way from the Mundy street end to the Water Street end of the compound. Black smoke billowed and flames leaped several feet into the air as members of the fire brigade braved the intense heat to bring it under control.
Firemen fought a strong north-easterly breeze to contain the fire which threatened old buildings in the depressed Tiger Bay area.
The fire was brought under control at about 1030 hrs. One of the owners, Harry Panday, told Stabroek News that the buildings were insured, but not the contents. He said the damage sustained was "hundreds of millions of dollars." He said the fire appeared to have been electrical in origin.
According to reports, an employee of the bond opened a toilet door and saw thick smoke inside. He raised an alarm and alerted his boss as employees started running from the premises. Another person employed in the immediate vicinity disclosed that he was on his way to work at about 0845 hrs when he saw smoke emitting from the south-eastern corner of the structure. The occupants were immediately informed triggering a frantic attempt to remove as much of the stock as possible.
When Stabroek News arrived on the scene at about 0905 hrs, members of the Fire Service were setting up their equipment at the Bentinck Street end of the complex, as smoked billowed from the upper wooden flat of the structure.
Curious onlookers quickly gathered as the smoke could be seen from miles away. Within minutes, smoke engulfed the immediate area forcing students of the Sacred Heart Primary School to take refuge on Carmichael Street.
A fire tender from the Central Fire Station was already in the compound at the Water Street end. The fire tender was at the entrance of the warehouse and firemen were attempting to douse the storage area which at that time was not fully alight. Seven fire tenders converged on the scene, according to Fire chief Tulsi John, from the Ogle, West Ruimveldt, Campbellville and Central Fire stations.
He said initially fire fighters were hampered by low water pressure, but the Georgetown Sewerage and Water Commissioners boosted the pressure. Attempts were made to get water from the Demerara River, but the tide was receding. However, Wieting and Richter Company Ltd (W&R), located opposite the burned complex, made available water from its reservoir.
Trevor Arno, manager of the Industrial Products Division of W&R told Stabroek News that the company used two of its hoses and water from its 58,000-gallon reservoir to help fight the fire. There was no danger of the reservoir running out of water, Arno said, because the company had its own well.
Employees from the Panday bond, assisted by some volunteers were frantically removing furnishings and other goods from the office section of the complex, while the fire raged in the bond area.
Firemen, attempting to douse the flames from the roof had to beat a hasty retreat as the flames chewing away at the roof, approached rapidly just as the pressure in their hoses decreased momentarily. Previously they had been trying to fight the blaze from the interior of the bond which was not fully engulfed by the flames up to that point. The intense heat began cracking the concrete walls that separated the central bond area from an automotive section in an adjoining area.
Meanwhile, on the eastern side of the complex in Mundy Street, residents of the area were busy dousing their homes to protect against heat damage as fire fighters battled the burgeoning flames. Walls collapsed under the heat of the flames as the firemen attacked the fire from that point.
By this time, the police had been able to establish cordons at the corners of Mundy and New Market streets and New Market and Water streets to the north, Main and Bentinck streets to the east, and Hope street at the corners of Mundy and Water streets to the south.
By 0940 hrs, the buildings were totally consumed by flames and an aged wooden structure on the southern side of Bentinck street was under threat. It had to be doused by firemen to keep it cool. Some water damage was visible.
Senior government functionaries were present among them Minister of Trade, Tourism and Industry, Geoffrey Da Silva, who stated that he had observed the smoke and had come to the scene. Da Silva expressed concern that the residents of the Tiger Bay area would have been affected. He pondered the financial losses incurred by the business.
While this newspaper was speaking to the minister the heat became more intense and persons began moving their vehicles from the Bentinck Street entrance of the Guyana Stores Ltd Automotive Division.
The fire service was at this point fighting the flames from three points--Mundy, Bentinck and Water streets.
The fire was eventually quelled at about 1040 hrs.
According to a spokesperson for the owners, the 40 employees of the burnt-out complex would be relocated to the other stores owned by the Pandays. These stores include Avinash, Avishkar's, Davina's, Ravina's, Athina's and the Kent Garment factory.
John expressed concern about old buildings existing around the city. He said many of these buildings were a serious fire hazard.
Public Relations Officer of the Mayor and City Council, Royston King, said the City Engineer's Department had done an audit on old buildings and had sent out notices to the owners who could be located. He said the M&CC had also started demolishing several derelict buildings in the city.
And in an invited comment, Guyana Power and Light Company Inc (GPL), Public Relations Officer, Marjorie Chester, told this newspaper that crews from the company had disconnected power to the entire area shortly after the fire started. The area of West Cummingsburg, which up to press time was said to be out of power, is likely to get relief today.
"As we speak the area bordered by Urquhart and Main streets by the Ministry of Finance and Hope Street at the southward end of Main street is still out of power," stated Chester.
The company, she stated, had suffered losses to a primary high voltage line, a 100 KVA transformer and a pole which should be replaced by today. An attempt by the technicians to begin repairs to damaged equipment was hampered first by the heat and water used to douse the fire, then by subsequent rainfall which set back the exercise.
Yesterday's fire was the second in four months to have struck in that area. On May 6, the Park Hotel was destroyed by fire of unknown origin. With the destruction went a piece of the country's history.
The owners of the hotel, the Kissoon family, have since received approximately $132 million from two insurance companies. However, five other insurance companies are challenging the findings of the probe into the fire.
Follow the goings-on in Guyana
in Guyana Today