Fire destroys three Hampshire buildings
By Daniel Da Costa
Stabroek News
May 29, 2004
Firemen were up to yesterday afternoon still dousing the smouldering remains of three buildings including a furniture manufacturing shop which were razed by a late Thursday night fire at Hampshire Village, some 13 miles from New Amsterdam.
As the smoke from the rubble clouded the air around the razed block yesterday, fifteen homeless persons including six children stood in shock on the nearby street pondering their future. The fire destroyed a two-storey building owned by Lilledhar Kishundial at Lot 9G Hampshire, which also housed a furniture manufacturing shop and showroom, a nearby building which he recently bought at Lot 10G and a third house owned by Albion Estate employee Krishendat Ramlall.
Kishundial lived with his wife Sahodrie, their two children and a niece Vishaka Persaud in the upper flat of the 5-bedroom house which the family bought some nine years ago. Some 20 employees who worked at the furniture shop which was opened about four years ago have been left without jobs. The second house owned by the businessman was occupied by Narine Persaud, his wife Sattie, their son Vishal and daughter-in-law Nalini.
Yesterday the victims were still counting their losses and were unable to provide any estimates but this newspaper learnt that Kishundial's losses could be in the vicinity of $20-$30 million.
According to the businessman's wife Sahodrie, they were aroused by cries of fire from her husband at around 10:30 pm and quickly exited the building. "I quickly awoke my two children and told them there was a fire and we had to leave the house. We were unable to save anything," she lamented. The fire she said appeared to have started in the vicinity of a platform between the two buildings owned by her husband.
Nalini Persaud who lived in the second building with her husband and in-laws, recalled that she was asleep when her mother-in-law awoke her saying there was a fire. "The second building was already in flames and we were forced to jump from the building to escape. We lost all of our belongings," she said almost in tears. The only things she was able to save were a mobile phone and her cosmetics bag.
Krishendat Ramlall said he was awakened by his son who told him their 30 ft. by 24 ft. home was on fire. "I quickly told my children and wife to leave the house and we all ran out," he told reporters. Assisted by some brave neighbours he ventured back into the burning building and was able to save some of his belongings.
But the Guysuco employee and his wife were very critical of the Fire Service which they said was very slow in responding to the call and had difficulties accessing water to fight the blaze.
According to the couple, by the time the Fire Service succeeded in obtaining water, the fire was already out of control. Ramlall said the firemen could have saved his house if they had responded promptly and had enough water to fight the blaze. He was unable to give an estimate of his losses but said it would be several millions.
According to the victims the Fire Service was summoned shortly after the fire broke out but did not arrive on the scene until after 11 pm. Several efforts to contact the Divisional Officer in New Amsterdam to ascertain when the call was received and when fire-fighters arrived on the scene were unsuccessful since his deputy said he was at Corriverton.
Vishaka Persaud, Kishundial's niece, told this newspaper that several pieces of completed furniture had been destroyed by the blaze including orders placed by some customers.
The cause of the fire is yet unknown but the victims are ruling out an electrical fault since there was a blackout in the area at the time.
However, firemen were still scouring the burnt-out remains for clues yesterday afternoon. The fire has again raised the need for the establishment of a branch of the Fire Service on the Lower Corentyne to cover areas far removed from the New Amsterdam headquarters and Corriverton where a branch is located.