Fire guts Red Thread Activist’s home

Jul 30, 2010 News

Fire of a so far unknown origin gutted a two-flat house in the posh community of Bonasika Street, Campbellville, around 19:45 hours yesterday, leaving popular Red Thread activist Andaiye and five other persons, including a 93-year old man, homeless.
The fire started in the lower flat of the building and quickly engulfed the interior forcing the occupants to flee, leaving their prized possessions behind.
Firefighters battled bravely to extinguish the blaze despite the difficult nature of their assignment, given the design of the building.
But Fire Chief Marlon Gentle assured reporters that his department had taken control of the situation and there was no danger to nearby buildings.
Speaking to reporters even as the firefighters battled the blaze, Andaiye related that shortly before eight o’clock, while she and the 93-year-old man were upstairs, she heard the screaming of the children in the bottom flat.
“It seemed like the big one was asleep and the little one, a very small one, might have been playing with something. We’re not sure yet because they are all hysterical.”
Andaiye said that by the time one of the older occupants downstairs awoke and began screaming, the fire had already spread.
“When I turned around, instinctively to go and pick up things like my computer and so on, flames were coming through the floor, so I stopped,” she said.
She recalled that they were forced to lift the 93-year old man out of the building in the little time they had to make it to safety.
She could not immediately estimate her losses but did indicate that the house was insured.
“For me the overwhelmingly biggest thing is that I’ve lost every piece of work. The computers have gone, the flash drives have gone, the CDs have gone, so I have no work in any form,” Andaiye said.
This is except for one bag in which she had stored some important documents.
“I had some things put away in such a way that I could move them quickly but when I turned to get them is when I saw the fire coming through, so I just dragged one thing out,” she said.
The popular female activist said that she has been living at the property for the past eight to nine years.
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Nandy Park Road

Nandy Park residents frustrated with neglect of area’s roads

Residents of Nandy Park, East Bank Demerara, are expressing frustration with what they describe as total neglect of their area in terms of roadways. Several of the perturbed residents told Kaieteur News that for years they have had to take it upon themselves to fill the potholes with builder’s waste, but despite this, vehicles are being damaged on a daily basis.
This newspaper tried making contact with the NDC chairman for a comment but the efforts were futile. Other employees said they did not have the authority to speak to the media.
Meanwhile, the truck that appeared on the front page of Kaieteur News yesterday, trapped in a hole on the road in Nandy Park, is reportedly being repaired by the Eccles-Ramsburg Neighbourhood Democratic Council (NDC).
According to workmen, the NDC contracted them to fill the potholes within the village.
Another representative at the worksite related that the road was under repairs when the truck was delivering sand within the street, “ We tell the truck driver don’t drive and he drive and pass…we start a road project.
The truck man seh he could make it and he drive and he get stuck, we got we sign up everything but the truck man just drive through.”