..suspect being sought

Following an argument with her partner, an irate woman allegedly set alight a stall aback the Stabroek Market on Monday night and the blaze razed several other stalls leaving millions in losses in its wake.

Reports are that the fire began sometime between 22:00hrs and midnight on Monday.

Two vendors are being credited for their quick thinking after they ran for help after smoke was noticed at the location. Their actions resulted in swift action from firemen stationed nearby at the Central Fire Station. The firemen managed to contain the blaze and saved the building which was once labelled as “hazardous” for occupancy.

The fire was contained to the north-eastern section of the wharf, a section in ruinous condition which Town Clerk, Royston King had once referred to as a “calamity waiting to happen”.

Access was reportedly restricted to the wharf since September 2018 by the Mayor and City Council (M&CC) as reconstruction works are expected to be undertaken.However, many vendors are still ignoring the order to cease operation.

On Tuesday, while providing the report of the City Constabulary, Acting Chief Constable Laurel Gittens told the media that she was at home in bed when she received the call about the fire.

“A stall holder was arrested who claimed that himself and his [partner] was engaged in an argument and she wounded him and he was suggesting that she’s the person who lit the stall on fire, but that is just speculations thus far. However, he was held in custody; he was transported to the Georgetown Public Hospital,” Gittens informed.

She continued: “This morning about 08:15hrs I received another call that another stall was ignited. However, that is under control and from all speculation that fire escalated from some exposed electrical wire, but all this is just speculation until the report from the Fire Service is final.”

Gittens said she had no confirmation on whether the alleged arsonist was arrested; the Guyana Fire Service (GFS) is said to be treating the incident as arson.

Several stall holders who still ply their trade at the wharf recounted events which they said originated from an argument between a fish vendor nicknamed ‘Chop-off’ and his female partner.

“The fire started in the third lane from [my stall]. A man by the name of ‘Chop-off’ he has a girl, a red girl –they say she come from Kurupung or somewhere about. He and she had a problem and she stabbed him with a knife and he said when he go to make a report nobody didn’t pay him no mind out there at the Constabulary so he went at Brickdam [police station] but by the time he come back she light the stand on fire and scale the fence,” food vendor Roxanne Dixon recounted.

Dixon’s stall was completely ravaged in the fire which she told the newspaper would cost her “hundreds of thousands”.

She arrived at the scene at around 23:10hrs on Monday and while pointing to the roof above her, she said, “the fire men really fight but, as you could see, all this is old wood.”

Dixon said , “I don’t know what I gon really do. Right now I’m kind of traumatized. Christmas coming so I might have to take to the streets and hustle. I have four children and five grandchildren.”

Meanwhile, Dason Dundus, a grocery vendor whose stall was also destroyed said: “I was in town when the fire started. I was outside [the market] selling around quarter to 12. I lost over 2 million and change.”

The Acting Chief Constable addressed questions on the vendors presence at the location at such late hours, although the M&CC had ordered them to relocate for their safety.

“The place is deemed to be dilapidated and individuals are not supposed to be dwelling here. However, it’s a difficult task to have them evacuate this area,” Gittens said.

She added that she had suggested that notices be placed beyond the market wharf’s entrance point and in public areas so that persons are aware that the M&CC would not be held culpable for any serious disasters.

A few former vendors of the Stabroek Market Wharf have already begun construction of their temporary stalls at the portion of reserve west of Parliament Building made available to relocate a number of the vendors affected by the planned renovations.