A fire last evening ravaged sections of the Corriverton Market in Region Six leaving vendors in dismay.
The Ministry of Home Affairs last night said that the fire was electrical in nature and erupted on the south eastern side of the market at approximately 6.45 pm, causing significant damage.
Upon receiving the distress call, the ministry said that Fire Tender No.101 from Corriverton and Fire Tender 110 from Rose Hall, led by Station Officer Minty and four other ranks, swiftly responded to the scene.
“Their prompt action ensured the fire was contained and extinguished.
Preliminary investigations reveal that the fire originated from an electric fan left plugged into the wall of one of the stalls and switched on, leading to overheating and subsequent ignition of nearby flammable materials”, a release from the ministry said.
The release added that the Guyana Fire Service successfully managed to quell the flames.
Two stalls were destroyed and others damaged.
As of last evening, firefighters remained at the scene working, while vendors were seen relocating items from their stalls.
Mayor of Corriverton, Imran Amin told Stabroek News that he received a call just around 6.30 pm and immediately engaged the fire service. He said, that after arriving at the location he noticed that one stall was on fire at the time.
It is suspected that the fire started at that stall which usually sells groceries.
Stabroek News was told that about four stalls along with a section of the market roof were destroyed by the fire.
P Ketwaroo, whose stall was damaged as a result of the fire said that when he arrived at the scene he hurriedly started to move out items as his stall was fully packed with groceries.
The man said that three of the stalls which were destroyed sold groceries while the fourth was a Superbet.
Ketwaroo noted that while the fire service was able to put out the fire in a timely manner more systems need to be put in place for such situations.
Another vendor identified as ‘Shanta’ was rushed to the hospital. The fire is suspected to have started in her stall and completely destroyed it.
Vendors last evening, after the fire was extinguished, reported that items were stolen from some of the stalls.
Ketwaroo said that while he was emptying his stall during the fire persons began stealing his grocery items. “We deh bring out things and I put some on the ground here and be time I bring out some more it gone.”
Meanwhile, it was an extremely tense situation at the location and senior police officers present seemingly aggravated the situation by ordering devastated vendors who were attempting to secure their stalls at various points of the market to exit the location.
One woman was arrested at the location and another claimed that she was struck by a policeman.
According to the vendor, after the fire was contained the woman who was arrested was attempting to secure her stall which was near the area when she was ordered out by the police.
“The girl lef them things in the stall and coming out when the (policeman) push her and like in everything she push back and he tek his stick and start hitting her and then he hit me too in it”, the upset woman informed vendors present at the location.
The vendors were angered at the ranks who then used two tables to block the vendors – ultimately preventing free access to firefighters who were moving in and out of the location.
The Commander of Region Six, Shivpersaud Bacchus also ordered several media operatives from the location although they had secured themselves in safe positions in attempts to interview the vendors gathered.
