Grove fire victims lament millions of dollars losses
ONE of the families, victims of the Saturday fire at Grove, East Bank Demerara, which razed several buildings, said their losses amount to millions of dollars.
The Ally family had operated a thriving wholesale beverage business for some 20 years at Lot 49 Grove Public Road and said restarting it would be difficult.
Hafeez Ally said it was run by his family of five when, on Saturday afternoon, as he was about to have a meal in the kitchen, he heard shouts of “fire” and saw the lower flat of his neighbour’s building, which housed Dragon Chinese Restaurant, engulfed in flames.
He told the Guyana Chronicle all he managed to save was a chair set, a rug and television but lost everything else as the conflagration quickly consumed his house and business place.
The Allys are presently staying with relatives, also in Grove, but they are to move into a property owned by his aunt where they will contemplate the next move.
Hafeez Ally claimed that, at no time, did the restaurant owner alert other residents to the imminent disaster and it was not the first time such a threat was posed in the bottom flat eating house.
It is reported that the blaze originated as the restaurateur was baking chicken and the oven exploded, however, the Guyana Fire Service (GFS) is investigating the origin.
Other residents said they swiftly moved several full cooking gas cylinders which were stored in the yard where the cook shop was situated to avoid explosions.
Ally said within three-quarters of an hour, four dwelling houses, three of which housed businesses, were destroyed.
He said, chickens he was also rearing at the back of his yard were all burnt to death and he bemoaned the looting of his property, allegedly, by drug addicts (junkies), who were at the scene yesterday searching the rubble.
Another victim, Sharda Hiraman, 58, of Lot 48 Grove Public Road, said she was not there but returned home, from Mahaicony, East Coast Demerara, to face the tragedy.
She was a tenant in the lower flat of the two-storey into which fire got through a window at the rear of the apartment.

SOUGHT REFUGE

Hiraman has sought refuge with relatives at Mahaicony, East Coast Demerara but will relocate to Eccles, East Bank Demerara, later this week.
She said, on Saturday night, ‘junkies’ broke into her water soaked home and stole wares from her cabinet, among other things, that were not damaged. Yesterday, she was trying to salvage what remained of her belongings while her dogs looked on.
The upstairs of where she lived was occupied by her landlord and his wife.
A house behind that building, in which two children and two adults lived, was completely burnt and that family lost everything, as well.
Occupants of the other gutted buildings were rescued by relatives in and around the village and the toll of victims left homeless reached at least 20.
Meanwhile, Fire Chief Marlon Gentle confirmed that the blaze started in the restaurant where a crude makeshift broiler malfunctioned, backfired on a 100 pound cooking gas cylinder and engulfed the nearby structures.
He said three buildings were completely destroyed, two severely and one slightly damaged.
Gentle said two tenders and a water tanker responded after off-duty firemen, living in the area, responded and called out the GFS. But the vehicles took some time to get to Grove as a result of a heavy traffic build-up along the way.
He said, when the fire tenders got to the location, they had to access water from a canal some distance away.
Gentle said no one raised the alarm and the Chinese national who owns the restaurant tried to flee the scene but was prevented from doing so, by firefighters, on Saturday.
His whereabouts was, however, unknown up to press time yesterday and he is being sought to assist with investigations.