Latest update March 29th, 2025 5:38 AM
Fire destroys chowmein factory, two homes
Nariman Khalil (centre) along with Sukhrani
Somra (left) and her son, Marks (right)
More than a dozen people are now homeless after a fire of so far unknown origin destroyed a chowmein factory and two neighbouring buildings at Sisters Village, West Bank Demerara (WBD) around 23:30 hrs on Saturday.
There are reports that the fire started at the chowmein factory, located at Lot 23 Sisters Village and then spread to the other two buildings which housed five families.
The owner of the chowmein factory, a Chinese national identified only as “Su” is reportedly in police custody assisting with information.
Some of the homeless persons are Nariman Khalil, 46; her husband, Manesh Manuhar; their sons, Rajendra Manuhar and Munesh Manuhar; daughter, Marisa Khalil and grandson, Navin Chan.
They shared an apartment at Lot 22 Sister’s Village. Three other apartments were in that building but everything was reduced to ashes. This newspaper was unable to locate the other tenants.
Sukhrani Somra, 68, and her 41-year-old son, Kenrick Marks lived at the two storey building at Lot 21 Sister’s Village, which also went up in flames.
When this newspaper arrived at the scene yesterday, only the concrete structure was left on Somra’s home and various parts of the zinc structure remained on what was once a chowmein factory.
The 68-year-old woman told this newspaper that she was in bed Saturday night when she heard people shouting “fire, fire, fire.”
“When I get up there was smoke everywhere and me and my son had to hurry and get out of the house. We couldn’t save anything. My money, jewelry get burn, even my pension book, house transport and so. I don’t know what I gun do now,” the elderly woman lamented.
She said that she believed the fire was of electrical origin.
“When the fire started, nobody aint went in the factory so I think is something sparked.”
Meanwhile, Nariman Khalil whose apartment is closer to the chowmein factory said that she and her husband saw a bright light through their window and then saw flames.
“We run out and start shout on everybody to come out because the fire was too much and nobody could have saved anything,” the woman said.
Investigations are ongoing.
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