Investigations into what might have caused Wednesday’s fire that ravaged a bond belonging to the Payless Variety Store and a storage facility owned by Comfort Sleep at Industrial Site, Eccles are still ongoing.
The two storage facilities were housed in the same yard, several feet from the Comfort Sleep Factory. The factory however was not destroyed contrary to the report in yesterday’s Stabroek News. Stabroek News regrets the error.
When Stabroek News visited the area yesterday, firemen were on the site carrying out investigations.
“We don’t have any word as yet, the firemen said that they are still doing their investigations”, Deodat Narine, Production Manager at Comfort Sleep said yesterday.
When asked about their losses, Narine said that the owner was not in the country and he was the best person to talk to. “He is expected in the country today. I have no idea how much was lost, he would be the best person to talk to,” he said.
Meanwhile, Amanda Chung, an employee, said that although they have not estimated their losses, the fire was a big loss to the factory. “My boss was always striving to get another lot to store the chemicals, because that alone is a fire hazard. We just used to use the yard as a storage, it was a stock yard really and not a bond,” the woman said.
Chung however lauded the firemen who she said did a good job in containing the fire. “We heard they did a really good job and were able to contain the fire. The factory was not damaged.”
Narine had said that although the company had suffered a big blow, none of the 30 employees would be out of a job.
Comfort Sleep reportedly controls 75% of the mattress market in Guyana.
Stabroek News made several attempts to reach the owners of Payless Variety Store, but were unsuccessful.
