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Author Topic: BIG FIRE IN POS  (Read 5150 times)

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Offline AB.Trini

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BIG FIRE IN POS
« on: April 09, 2005, 10:31:04 AM »
any one with the latest on the fire in POS?

Offline Tallman

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Re: BIG FIRE IN POS
« Reply #1 on: April 09, 2005, 01:06:41 PM »
Fire still rages in Port of Spain causing millions of dollars in damage and job losses in the hundreds

i95.5 FM

Hundreds of people are now jobless and at least two hundred more have lost their businesses as a fire completely destroys the People’s Mall, and wreck havoc on cloth stores on Queen’s Street.

Fire fighters are still battling the blaze which began over 6 hours ago at one of the booths on the Fredrick Street side of the People’s Mall.

While on his way to a meeting Prime Minister Patrick Manning visited the scene and said the major issues arising from the fire have been identified and steps will be taken immediately to deal with them.
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Offline nobody_s angel

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Re: BIG FIRE IN POS
« Reply #2 on: April 09, 2005, 02:09:12 PM »
Would you believe that there is this big fire 5 mins away from the major tv station and they have no live coverage at all. For 3 hours into the fire no live coverage from TV6 and Gayelle.

Did they eventually show some footage anytime in the day?

Offline maxg

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News - early breaking News
« Reply #3 on: April 09, 2005, 05:37:37 PM »
Downtown POS was on fire.. Fedrick st, by the Drag bros mall, and many adjacent buildings. No more details

Offline arrow

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Re: News - early breaking News
« Reply #4 on: April 09, 2005, 06:28:23 PM »
Fire destroys popular shopping area in Trinidad

PORT OF SPAIN, Trinidad, CMC – An early morning fire in downtown, Port of Spain, gutted several small businesses, leaving scores of people unemployed and millions of dollars in damage.

Offline Bally

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The Big Heat
« Reply #5 on: April 10, 2005, 10:18:52 AM »
The Big Heat

$25m in losses as firemen hit by water shortage in city

Ucill Cambridge ucambridge@trinidadexpress.com


Sunday, April 10th 2005
 
 
 
The People's Mall in downtown Port of Spain ablaze yesterday morning. The fire destroyed seven other businesses and one Government office. PHOTO: JERMAINE CRUICKSHANK

ALL of The People's Mall, six stores, one restaurant and a Government office were destroyed in an early morning, multi-million-dollar fire in downtown Port of Spain yesterday.

The fire, which reportedly began at the People's Mall, blazed for more than eight hours due largely to a shortage of water, but also because of strong winds and fire tenders which kept breaking down.

Other businesses lost in the blaze included (on Frederick Street) Pizza Boys, Kristina's, Catwalk, Fabric Land, Nina's, Y De Lima's, the Health Ministry's Education Office and the Cocoa Board. Queensway on Queen street was also destroyed.

A preliminary estimate by the Downtown Owners and Merchants Association (DOMA) placed losses at some $25 million.

Chief Fire Officer Lennox Alfred confirmed that when he arrived on the scene just after 6 a.m. fire officers had to rely on the water supply brought in by the fire tenders. Alfred said there was no water in any of the many fire hydrants which lined Frederick, Queen and Henry Streets, near the affected areas.

 
Grief and frustration for this People's Mall booth owner, a victim of the fire. PHOTO: JERMAINE CRUICKSHANK

Alfred said they had to run hoses as far as the Port of Spain docks to get a sea-water supply to fight the flames. He also said WASA had to be called in and water trucks brought to the scene to deal with the blaze.

The fire reportedly began on the north-west side of the Mall, closest to The Bridal Shop on Frederick Street.

Many booth owners could be heard saying they believed the blaze had been deliberately set to get them and their wood and galvanise structures off the lots they had been occupying for years.

Outside of this the Sunday Express understands that there are two theories being entertained as to how the fire started. The first: someone was attempting to charge a battery to start a generator used by roadside music pirates, when the battery exploded. The second: a more sinister story directly linked to the Friday evening murder of Morvant resident Andre Paul. Police are investigating claims that fire was set to a tailoring shop at the Mall in revenge for the killing of Paul. Witnesses reported seeing three young men running away from the booth shortly before the fire began.

By 7.30 a.m. all of the booths on the Frederick and Queen Street side of the Mall were destroyed.

Barricades were set up at the corners of Queen and Henry and Queen and Frederick Streets to keep the crowd at bay and to control, police officers said, expected looting. The Sunday Express was told that shots fired into the air by law enforcement officers earlier in the morning put paid to that intent.

The barricades were manned by members of the Guard and Emergency Unit, the Port of Spain Task Force and the Inter-Agency Task Force, which included a sprinkling of personnel from the Defence Force.

At 8.25 a.m. the attempts to prevent the fire from spreading from the Mall to the bigger businesses proved futile when smoke was spotted on Queensway's first floor, with owner Anthony Rahael and his brother, Health Minister John Rahael, looking on from across the street.

Rahael, approached about removing the stock of fabric from the building which was not yet engulfed, remarked: "It is not worth the risk, let it burn."

And even as attention was being paid to the Queen Street blaze, the clock tower of Trinity Cathedral, a block away, caught fire.

Persistently strong breezes which had been fanning and spreading the flames all morning, transported embers to the church tower.

Firemen were able to quickly get into the tower and put out the small fire, which left a small hole in structure.

At 8.55 a loud rumble inside the Queensway store sent firefighters scampering out of the building as the upper floors collapsed. It was now truly over for this store.

At the corner of Queen and Henry Streets, officers squatted inspecting a bag of herb-like substance taken out of one of the burnt-out booths but their attention was soon diverted by the sound of scores of officers simultaneously cocking their weapons.

The sound brought others running to the corner as a near riot threatened to erupt when a police officer kicked a civilian.

The man, a Muslim, had been reportedly toting items from his booth and attempted to get past the barrier to continue his chore. At least one bottle was thrown before the crowd thought better than to go up against the lawmen who stood in a ready position.

The arrival of Port of Spain Mayor Murchison Brown only served to further ignite the ire of the crowd, when he failed to address them.

"So we ent lose business too?"

" He can't come and talk to us? Is only the Syrian he could talk to?"

" He come and stand up and talk to them and not a word for us."

They felt better though when Women's Affairs Minister Joan Yuille-Williams arrived on the scene and paid them the attention they felt they deserved.

Just after 10 a.m., it appeared that all was under control - in fact the Chief Fire Officer made such a pronouncement - but as fire officers began to relax, flames could be seen dancing on the rooftop of Nina's, on the western side of Frederick Street.

Immediately firefighters rushed to save the cloth store and neighbouring Y. de Lima's. But with three broken-down fire appliances and the one hose employed in the task of sprinkling water as if from a bathroom shower, and at times no water at all, and the winds continuing to blow, the fire continued to spread.

A noise of concern was raised about the two huge LPG cylinders said to be housed at the Pizza Boys Restaurant. Fire officers could be seen rolling them away.

More WASA water trucks were brought to the scene and, by 1.30 p.m. -about eight hours after the fire began-and with the Pizza Boys Building still ablaze, the inferno was said to be under control.

Up to late last night, fire officers were still busy at the scene trying to put out stubborn flames at the corner of Queen and Frederick Streets where black smoke continued to waft through the air.

Police officers, along with soldiers, remained posted at the scene and barricades remained in place. They informed the Sunday Express that they would be guarding the streets all through the night.
 
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