Parika Market destroyed by fire

TheParikaMarketwason Friday afternoon completelydestroyedby fire. According to reports, the fire startedataround15:30h.

Drone shots, multiple photographs and cell phone recorded videos depicted a devastating scene The entire structurelocatedincloseproximity to the Parika Stelling was engulfed inahugeballoffire.

The blaze reportedly spread quicklyanddestroyedstallslocated at the front of the market and even thosethatwereopposite.

Almostanhourbeforetheblaze was reported, the Department of

CommanderSiwnarinealsoechoed theMinister'sstatements.

He told Kaieteur News “The entirestructureisontheground,the entirestructureisontheground”.

No injuries were reported but up to Friday evening fire fighters were on the ground trying to completelyextinguishtheblaze.

TheoffloadingoftheEssequibo Vessels, MV Sandaka Kanawan and Malawi were reportedly halted tofacilitatetheirefforts.

It is unclear at this time as to whatmighthavecausedthefirebut according Minister Benn it is suspectedthataweldingsparkfrom ongoing construction works at the

Public Information (DPI) reported that, the rehabilitation of the Parika Market,themarketwhichisusually a hive of activity on Sundays, will becompletedthisyear

Home Affairs Minister, Robeson Benn said that four fire market might have gotten into contact with flammable materials andignitedtheblaze.

“We understand but we will have to clarify later that there was welding going on in the building and that the sparks fell down unto said. their d News some welding at the market when the spark fell on a tarpaulin and it start bun”. The vendors alleged that no quick attention was paid to the tarpaulin and spark caused a “big fire” that destroyed their stalls and allofthemerchandiseinside.

Chairman of the Parika Nieghbourhood Democratic Council (NDC), Jaideo Sookhoo, described the destruction to the marketas“tremendous”.

“Over160registeredstallswere in the market including those that were at the side of the road”, the NDC chairman told Kaieteur News.

He assured that systems will be put in place to facilitate all of vendors who suffered heavy losses and related that the regional officials are presently discussing with the Minister (Benn) possible alternatives for those affected so that they continue to earn their livelihood.

Meanwhile Benn said, “We are intended to meet with those (vendors) who claim they have losses and make listings for consideration an evaluation and assessment and then we will take it fromthere”.

The Parika Market has been around for many years and the government recently decided to pump hundreds of millions of dollarsintorehabi l i t a t i n g a nd enlarging the vending facility Reportssuggestedthattheplanisto replace the old wooden building withasteelandconcretestructure.

Some $259 2 Million were already expended to complete the phase one and two of the project. Some of the works were done by

Tanco Steel F a b r i c a t i o n and ConstructionInc.

The project was presently in its third phase of construction and some $690M were set aside for its completion but Friday's fire proved to be a major setback because the government will have to construct themarketfromscratch.

It is unclear if the same contractor was working on the Marketatthetimeofthefire.

T h e P a r i k a m a r k e t enhancement initiative would have seen infrastructural development, as well as the addition of a canopy walkway,amongotherupgrades.

The reconstruction of the markets was part of a broader initiativetoimproveandmodernise theconditionsofmarketsacrossthe country, while encouraging businessforvendors.