Several businesses destroyed as fire guts 3 buildings at Corriverton

A fire that erupted on Monday morning in the heart of the commercial district of the township of Corriverton in Region Six (East Berbice-Corentyne) has destroyed three buildings and sent several businesses up in flames.
A hotel, restaurant, sports bar, and upholstery business were all casualties of this inferno, which reportedly had its genesis at Mahin and Sons Upholstery Shop at Lot ‘P’ Corriverton. Mahendra Persaud of Number 75 Village, Upper Corentyne, Berbice is owner/operator of this upholstery shop.

This fire, which started at about 09:00h on Monday, reportedly consumed the two-storey wooden structure of Mahin and Sons within minutes, before spreading to the Ritz Hotel and Restaurant, and then moving on to a mall that housed several businesses. A section of the mall was destroyed before firefighters could get the blaze under control.
Mahindra Persaud, who operated Mahin and Sons Upholstery, said he was at work when he saw smoke emanating from a room in his building. According to the 54-year-old Persaud, upon seeing the smoke, he had initially thought that someone was burning garbage, but as it intensified, he decided to check. At the time, he was attending to a lone customer in his business place.
I see the smoke coming out from a room that I get, and when I go and open the door, I see fire, he declared.
The man said he tried to extinguish the fire in that early stage, but suffered burns to his feet in the process.
I lock back the door and tell the man to help me take out my machine and put it outside. I managed to pull out the machine and what else I could get, but I couldn t get plenty, because is a wood building and it catch quick, he said.
Within minutes, he said, the fire had spread throughout his business place, which he had been renting for 13 years. He pointed out that a compressor, leatherette, and rolls of sponge which he had purchased to do upholstery were destroyed in the fire.
I had people chairs that I was supposed to deliver on Friday. All burn! I collect advance from people for their work, and all burn up! I collected $100,000 from some people at Number 66 to do their chair, and the money and the chair all burned up, he disclosed.
Persaud said the fire also destroyed a power generator which he used whenever there was a power outage.
I would have see a next place to rent, but I am studying the things that I had for people that burn. I had a man car-top he bring till from Georgetown a new model car. That is what I studying, because he can t buy back that, Persaud said as he broke down in tears.
According to Persaud, three persons who worked with him are now jobless. He estimates his losses at $4M.
Meanwhile, the huge flames having destroyed Persaud’s business place, spread to the three-storey concrete edifice that is the Ritz Hotel, Restaurant and Sports Bar, once a popular entertainment establishment situated at 171 Springlands.
The owner of Ritz business establishment, 62-year-old Kamaldai Ootra, called Rita , explained that she was on the lower flat of the building when her granddaughter informed her that she was seeing thick smoke next door, and she immediately moved to investigate.
I see the smoke coming out from the old building! Black! Black! It had already started to accumulate in my room, because I had the windows open. The fire spread and come to my building from the ceiling. I know if the fire people had reached here on time, my building would have saved, she declared.
The Fire Department has said it received a call about a fire at 9:34h, and a water tender from the Corriverton Fire Station was dispatched with support in the form of a water tender hastening on its way from Rose Hall Town.
According to the Fire Department, the first appliance arrived on the scene at 9:39h, and
firefighters discovered one building destroyed and another fully engulfed in flames and smoke.
The cause of the fire is still being investigated. (G4)