$.5M in damage as fire partially destroys shopping centre

MERE hours after cremating her father, Chaina Ramsackal had to deal with another tragedy as her home and business place were partially destroyed by fire believed to be caused by an electrical fault on Sunday night.

Nearly half-a-million dollars worth of goods, furniture and appliances were lost in the blaze at Ramsackal’s Shopping Centre in Cunupia.  Ramsackal, 46, reportedly fainted when she and her husband Chandraboodoo, 48, arrived at the scene after hastily leaving the house of mourning following the funeral for Ramsackal’s father. Reports indicate that an anonymous telephone caller informed Cunupia police of the fire around 10.30 pm. The couple were with relatives at the home of Chaina’s deceased 79-year-old father Bhogwan Doon, at Pierre Road, Felicity. Less than four hours later, the couple returned home following Doon’s cremation to switch on the lights and ensure that the property was secured. They then went back to the house of mourning to be with other relatives. Doon died last Friday.

The couple’s two children, Shalini, 19, and Varoon, 14, are on vacation with their sister Nalini, who resides in Canada.  Firemen from the Chaguanas fire department responded quickly and managed to douse the fast-spreading flames before the entire building became engulfed. Damage to the two-storey concrete structure was estimated at $50,000, with losses of up to $450,000, after the blaze destroyed the couple’s personal items as well as products, that were offered for sale, in the various stalls of the shopping centre located on the ground floor. The Ramsackals said their top floor residence was partially saved from the blaze. The worst-hit area was a furniture store, which was almost gutted. A variety store next to the furniture store was mainly water damaged.

Chaina was despondent as she looked at the charred ruins on the ground floor. Destroyed in the blaze were furniture, bicycles, clothing and other items which were offered for sale. “You work so hard for what you have and it is real painful to see it all gone,” Ramsackal told Newsday. Officers from the Fire Prevention department visited the scene yesterday as investigations into the cause of the blaze continued. Police sources said their preliminary investigations pointed to faults in the electrical system and it is believed the fire started on the top floor of the building. Cunupia police are continuing investigations.