Thirteen speed boat operators and support staff are now in limbo after a fire of yet unknown origin at the Vreed-en-Hoop Stelling completed gutted thirteen water taxis and scorched six on Tuesday.
According to Eoshan Khemraj, Secretary of the Deme-rara Speed Boat Association, and also himself a victim of the fire, operators are contemplating what to do next knowing that the service they provided were their main source of income.
“We have to do something, we don’t have anything right now, but we have to look around for something. We can’t just sit around”, he told Stabroek News on Wednesday. Khemraj said the difficulty is also knowing that they have to build a boat and engine while at the same time seek alternative means of income.
Khemraj informed Stabroek News of the personal economic cost to operators and the scarcity of materials used in boat-building.
“It’s affecting us because we have to spend every day and we are not earning. Plus we have to get money to build a boat again. Engine, boat, everything, big time. And this is from scratch… and right now we are not even getting the wood to build the boat. So, we don’t even know when that is going to happen and one boat takes over three months to build”, he added.
On August 1st about 0149 hours, the Guyana Fire Service (GFS) reported that a call was received reporting a fire at the Vreed-en-Hoop Stelling, West Bank Demerara. The GFS said it responded with Water Tender #111 and a crew from the La Grange Fire Station, along with fire boat protector #8 and crew. At the scene, the GFS noted several boats on fire.
An investigation conducted by the Guyana Police Force determined that the fire originated from the stern of a vessel moored south of the Vreed-en-Hoop stelling. This fire quickly spread to other nearby vessels.
The Guyana Police Force said persons at the scene were questioned, including the security guard, who was taken into custody pending investigation. While the origin of the fire is yet to be determined, it was also observed that there were no visible CCTV cameras or security lights at the scene.
Khemraj also told this newspaper that they have not been contacted by the authorities. “Nothing, Nothing nobody isn’t telling us nothing. The police aren’t telling us anything, the police isn’t saying anything. The authorities not calling us to discuss something.”
Region Three Police Com-mander, Mahendra Siwnarine, when contacted, told Stabroek News that the police are awaiting a report from the Guyana Fire Service after which a decision will be made on the way forward.
