$million dollar fire renders family homeless, 13 jobless

Speaking to Sunday Newsday yesterday, distraught businessman Hemraj Sinanan, 50, of Lachoos Road, Penal said he and his brother Premraj, 49, who lives upstairs the building with his family, have been running separate businesses on the ground floor for the past 12 years.

Sinanan said: “Everything is gone, we have lost everything. I have nothing now.

“This damage has run into millions. I don’t know what we will do now.”

Sinanan said the business places were not insured. Police reported that the fire began at about 3.30 pm on Friday. Appliances from the Siparia Fire Station arrived but firemen were unable to save the building which was totally destroyed. Apart from several pieces of heavy machinery, a boat and three boat engines were also lost in the fire. Fire prevention officers returned to the scene of the fire and up to yesterday were still trying to determine the cause of the blaze.

Investigations are continuing.