-say buildings could have been saved
Bush Lot business owners who are reeling from a massive blaze on Monday which left one man dead and completely destroyed three buildings housing a total of six businesses, believe that had the GFS had better equipment the fire would have been quickly contained and their businesses saved.
The dead man has been identified as Carl Rajendra Persaud, 54, who resided at Lot 16 ‘B’ Bush Lot Public Road, WCB, which had a two-storey wooden and concrete building. Persaud lived on the upper flat, and the lower flat housed the Nalico & Nafico Insurance Office.
Ruth Persaud, an overseas-based Guyanese, owned the property at Lot 15 ‘B’ Bush Lot Public Road, WCB, a wooden and concrete building. The building was also destroy-ed and while the upper flat was vacant, the the lower flat housed the Medical Aid Pharmacy, owned by Rochelle Cheefoon, a 38-year-old businesswoman of Lot 163 Lovely Lass Village, WCB and Ramesh’s Jewellery, own-ed by Ramesh Khemraj, a 46-year-old businessman residing at 103 Sec ‘B’ Bush Lot Village, WCB.
Khemraj also operated a bicycle shop, while his daughter operated a beauty salon and cosmetic store at the said location.
Sundradai Jagmohan, a 46-year-old residing at Lot 17 ‘B’ Bush Lot Public Road, WCB, is the owner of the two-storey concrete building, which housed a phone and clothing store separately in the lower flat.
According to residents, Carl Persaud was seen pushing his hand through his bedroom window and simultaneously, fire spread quickly at the upper flat before persons could get to his assistance. The fire then spread to the nearby buildings and businesses destroying everything in its path before being contained.
Persaud’s son, Johnathon Persaud, 19, who resides behind where his father lived, called the day a tragic one as he explained that he left home on Monday and took food for his father and informed him that he would be heading to Georgetown for the day.
“I see him well, I talk to him, I tell him I going to Georgetown and he said he want KFC and I went and bring back the KFC and then I heard he house light a fire and he deh inside the house.”
According to the younger Persaud, on his way back he was informed that his father could not be found. “Everybody kept saying them searching for him and them na find he, that them na know where he deh but that time the man deh in the house a burn.”
He continued, “Them say he went in and he knock on the windows and scream for help three times and then he collapsed from there and start to go down with the fire, and everything with he burn up inside.”
The young man said that he believed that if he was home he might have been able to save his father, “maybe if was at home that time I would have been able to help him, rush him out of the house.”
The son said that his father was a “funny person.” He said, “He cool, he funny, he like make jokes, any time he sees me he like make jokes, that’s one thing I remember about him.”
Stabroek News was told, that Carl’s badly burnt body was discovered at the location late Monday evening.
Major frustration
Meanwhile, the persons who lost their various businesses yesterday expressed major frustration at the Guyana Fire Service (GFS). According to them, the unit arrived at the location with hoses which had major holes and then struggled for a while to locate a water source.
Describing the fire service’s hose as a “sprinkler” for farms, Ramesh Khemraj, owner of the jewellery and bicycle shop explained that when he arrived at the location his premises was not on fire.
He said Carl Persaud’s house which housed the insurance office at the bottom was ablaze and the wind was blowing on the other side. As such he began emptying the building next door where the phone and clothing store was located with a resident on the upper flat.
“We rush over there and start help she (Jagmohan) take out she thing them out she house so when we come back now this wire fall on the shed and start spark on me business so me couldn’t get in the building and me say if me get in and get trap it go be more worse so I stand up out deh and the fire truck went there so me say it go help save the one side wall from catching fire”, Khemraj said.
However, this was not the case, Khemraj explained, “when them spray the water is like from here to there and right through the road from the trench to reach here the hose like sprinkler.”
Khemraj added, that Minister of Home Affairs, Robeson Benn was present at the location on Monday evening “and he see it for himself is na we saying it alone.”
Unable to estimate his losses, Khemraj said that he had about 300 bicycles at the location along with his jewellery shop. Breaking into tears, the businessman said “if you see things I get to make for people. Now I got to ask them for some time till I figure out what me doing.”
Additionally, he explained that he was renting two units at the location, one of which was occupied by his daughter who operated a beauty salon and cosmetic centre. “Everything gone, the jewellery shop, the bicycles all the frame left at the bank that burn, and me daughter entire salon where she been a do hair and nails.”
Jagmohan who resided in the upper flat of the phone store with her daughter was still at a loss yesterday as to the way forward. she has since sought refuge at a relative’s house. The woman said, that while neighbours assisted in removing some of her furniture and appliance the entire upper structure needs to be replaced.
Roxanne Butler, 50, who operated a clothing store in the lower flat of Jagmohan’s premises estimated her losses to be about $3m. She said, that all of the items in her store were soaked and damaged while the store itself was flooded.
Speaking to the Supervisor of Nalico & Nafico, Charan Singh at the location, he said that when he received the information and rushed out the fire was already about 75% in Carl Persaud’s building.
“The fire service reach, them ain’t had no water, them went looking for water, it take like a 34, 40 minutes and then them start.”
Noting, that the insurance office has been at the location for over twenty-five years, Singh said that policy owners can make their payments at different locations as their information is in the company’s system.
Stabroek News was told that the Medical Aid Pharmacy is estimated to have lost about $7m in supplies. According to their pharmacy assistant, they supplied medications along with cosmetics items.
Meanwhile, Javed Saywack of 14 ‘B’ Bush Lot, West Coast Berbice who is located next door to the insurance office complimented residents who assisted in saving his premises.
He explained, that based on information they received while the fire service responded promptly “their equipment was terrible.”
He said, “Had their equipment been working properly or they had proper equipment I think majority of what’s lost would have been saved. The hose got holes, I think a basket was better than the hose that they used so had they had proper equipment majority that was lost would have been saved.”
According to the young man, with the help of residents and passersby “everybody that was on the road, everybody chipped in and gave a helping hand we manage to save here and extinguish the fire just next to us.”
Describing the efforts to save his premises, Saywack said that it started with a bucket brigade after which they used a pump and water from their tanks to soak their building.
According to Saywack, the fire was eventually extinguished about 2 am yesterday.
At around 9pm yesterday, the fire service issued the following release:
At 18:03 hrs yesterday, the Fire Service received a call reporting a fire at Lot 16 Bush Lot Village, West Coast Berbice.
Water Tenders #90 from Onverwagt Fire Station, #74 from New Amsterdam Fire Station, and #106 from Mahaica Fire Station, carrying a total of 15,327 liters, accompanied by sixteen firefighters, were immediately dispatched to the scene.
The first appliance arrived at 18:10 hrs and the first jet was applied at 18:11 hrs.
Upon arrival, firefighters found a two-storey wooden and concrete building engulfed in flames and smoke. The building was owned by 54-year-old Rajendra Persaud. The top floor was used as a private dwelling, while the ground floor operated as a branch of the Nalico Nafico Insurance Company.
As a result of the fire, the building and its contents were destroyed, and Rajendra Persaud lost his life.
The cause of the fire is currently under investigation by fire prevention officials.
Due to the magnitude of the fire, two other buildings were also affected.
A two-storey building located at Lot 15 Bush Lot Village, West Coast Berbice, was completely destroyed as a result of radiated heat. The top floor was unoccupied, while the ground floor operated as a jewelry shop owned by 43-year-old Ramesh Khemraj.
Also affected was another two-storey house at Lot 17 Bush Lot Village, West Coast Berbice. The building was owned by 46-year-old Sunradia Jagmohan. The top floor was used as a private dwelling, while the ground floor operated as a boutique owned by 50-year-old Roxanna Butler. The building and its contents were severely damaged due to radiated heat.
Two jets working from Light Pump #A-2, in conjunction with Estate Land Rover and WT#74 relay system, and four jets from WT#106 and LP #A-15 working from an open water supply, were used to extinguish the blaze.
The Guyana Fire Service deeply regrets the loss of life due to fire and extends sincere condolences to the relatives and friends of Rajendra Persaud.
Citizens are reminded to equip their homes with fire alarms, smoke detectors, and fire extinguishers, as these devices help alert people to a fire and extinguish it quickly.
