Residents of the mining community of Mahdia yesterday morning woke up to face the stark reality of the major business places in the hill-top community in smouldering ruins but there was also a resounding defiance as captured in the words of one resident: fire “nah goin stop Mahdia from developing.”
During a visit to the area yesterday, residents noted that the community was still coming to grips with the fire which gutted an area known as ‘the Arcade’—a triangular-shaped area situated in central Mahdia—resulting in dozens of persons being left homeless as well as millions of dollars in damage.
It was noted by a few that a more vigilant response from their neighbours could have prevented the inferno from reducing the buildings to ashes. Word in the community yesterday was that the fire may have been deliberately started after a relationship involving a businessman in the area went sour.
Along the central parts of the community, persons watched helplessly yesterday while those who suffered losses searched through the rubble for valuables which might have been left behind.
One such person, a man who gave his name as Martin, stated that he had operated a clothing business at the Arcade for more than two years and while his business had encountered “tough times” over the past several months, business was picking up when tragedy struck. He said that he will now have to start from scratch and added that assistance from the authorities was the only way this could occur.
Another resident, who asked not to be named, stated that her dry goods store which was completely destroyed, was the sole source of income of her family and she noted that while she managed to save several articles, her losses were severe. She said that when the fire started, she was about to close up shop for the day and it was while smoke was seen billowing from the nearby Hinds Mini Mall that she made attempts to save her valuables.
A nearby food vendor told Stabroek News last evening that she was about to leave her home for the usually busy central Mahdia area around 6:40 on Thursday evening when she saw the sky above the Arcade ‘light up.‘ She said a crowd had already formed at the scene and according to her, a woman in the building where smoke was seen initially, “instructed people nearby to let it burn.”
She said as a result most persons stood and watched while the owners of the nearby businesses made valiant attempts to save their valuables.
Last evening the community was buzzing with activity as on a normal Friday evening, one resident noting that the fire “nah goin stop Mahdia from developing.” He said that the businesses in the community rely heavily on the mining and according to him, while persons may have suffered losses, things will continue “to get better once mining continue.”
Other residents voiced similar sentiments when asked for a comment by Stabroek News on the aftermath of the fire.
Smoke and a stifling odour from the gutted ruins enveloped the area as persons gathered at nearby shops and hang out spots to discuss Thursday evening’s events while bus loads of relatives and friends arrived in the community from the coastland to gain a glimpse of the aftermath of the fire as well as to offer comforting words to their loved ones.
