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Govt. to assist Albouystown fire victims with three months’ rent
The aftermath of the fire at James Street, Albouystown
Kaieteur News – Residents of James Street, Albouystown, who lost their homes in an afternoon fire on August 11, are now seeking rental accommodation, as the Government of Guyana has promised to assist them with three months’ rent.
Thirty-two-year-old Alisha Farnun, a single mother of two who lived in one of the apartment buildings that was destroyed, said she is currently searching for a place to rent.
“They told us to get somewhere to rent and they will assist us with three months’ rent,” she explained.
Kaieteur News was able to confirm that the commitment was made by the government. According to a reliable source, every displaced person will be assisted. The owner of the gutted building has since provided the government with a list of tenants to guide the distribution of assistance.
Farnun, who lost all of her belongings in the blaze, said she is now struggling to rebuild her life. Her children, ages six and 10, who attend Ketley Primary School, are at a shelter established at the Six Head Lewis Gym to assist the fire victims. All of the children’s school supplies have been destroyed.
The Civil Defence Commission (CDC) activated the shelter to house the displaced, providing temporary accommodation and personal supplies.
In an update on Friday morning, Divisional Officer Andrew Holder of the Guyana Fire Service (GFS) said, “We are on the ground this morning to do many things, one, assess the damages that would have occurred as a result of yesterday’s fire and secondly, to assist in clearing debris.” Holder added that rubble will also be removed from the site.
This publication had reported that five houses between Hill and Albouys Streets were destroyed, leaving about 30 persons displaced. The blaze started shortly after 14:30 hrs. By the time Kaieteur News arrived on the scene, three houses were already engulfed and the fire was spreading. Residents complained bitterly about the Guyana Fire Service’s (GFS) late response, arguing that the losses could have been prevented.
One of the displaced tenants, Nekita told Kaieteur that residents first tried using buckets of water to douse the flames. She said she managed to alert a woman and her son inside one of the buildings, who escaped unhurt.
“It had a set of rubbish in front of the yard and the rubbish catch and started the fire. Everything burn up. Everything burn up,” she said, blaming the fire service for not arriving sooner. The fire is believed to have started in a yard where garbage was being burnt, reportedly occupied by persons residents described as “junkies.” From there, it spread to nearby homes.
Meanwhile, representatives of A Partnership for National Unity (APNU) provided supplies to the affected persons.
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