Latest update December 3rd, 2024 1:00 AM
Jun 05, 2011 News
…block site clearing equipment
Morris Sookhoo, the man claiming ownership of the destroyed Barrack and High Streets property, and the remaining residents, yesterday morning got into a fierce showdown after the man attempted to clear out the property.
A fire of unknown origin completely destroyed the building on Easter Monday, leaving approximately 70 persons including children homeless.
Patricia Cornette, one of the many displaced residents still living at the site told Kaieteur News, said that it was around 7:30hrs when the bulldozer came accompanied by 30 men to remove them.
Tarpaulins have been placed around a section of the property to protect those who remain there from the elements.
According to Cornette, persons in the yard were attempting to remove some of the debris in the yard.
“We deh cleaning up and we see de bulldozer come and ask we is where got to break up,” Cornette told this publication.
The woman told Kaieteur News that the driver for the bulldozer told the occupants that he was hired to clear the property.
“De driver for the bulldozer said that is Mr Sookhoo hire he to clear off de land,” Cornette said.
Cornette said that residents were surprised by this move, since according to court documents shown to this newspaper, the occupants along with Sookhoo are expected to appear in front a High Court Judge on Monday.
And tempers flared as Sookhoo attempted to gain entry into the compound. The occupants locked the gates.
This newspaper was told that one resident by the name of Nathan Ramascindo was arrested by the police after Sookhoo alleged that the man assaulted him with a cutlass.
However the occupants are strongly denying this claim. According to Cornette, Ramascindo was merely standing in front of the gate to prevent Sookhoo from entering.
“Nathan ain’t had no cutlass or anything in his hand…because he was going to work. So that’s a lie that he attacked anyone with a cutlass,” Cornette stated.
Meanwhile occupants are adamant that the property does not belong to Sookhoo since documents showed that the owner is “unknown”.
“He was paying the taxes because he want rights for the property….but he ain’t own nothing so he can’t put nobody out,” one occupant said.
All the occupants yesterday said that they are still waiting on the Ministry of Housing for their house lots so that they could relocate.
“Is nah because we want live like this…Is genuinely because we ain’t got nowhere to go,” said an occupant.
Since the Easter Monday fire, victims have received tremendous support from the business society among others.
Twenty of those persons were given the option to stay at the Guyana Relief Council (GRC) Lot X West of Public Road, Ruimveldt until the end of May 2011.
GRC assisted 37 persons (20 adults, 10 children and seven babies). Nineteen elected to stay at the facility.
According to GRC, the council will constantly review the situation of these persons and is willing to further extend their stay as long as it is financially viable to do so.
The Council further informs that its Temporary Shelter, which is at no cost to the residents, can accommodate a maximum of 100 persons at any one time and this facility was offered to all the persons affected by the fire.
Only 20 persons, among them babies and children, opted to accept the offer.
The Council also assisted in outfitting the school aged children with school uniforms to ensure their return to school.
In addition, the victims are supplied with all the basic amenities such as toiletries, janitorial supplies, clothing, footwear and baby items to aid them with the rehabilitation of their lives and finding alternative permanent accommodation.
DIGICEL (Guyana) had assisted with $500,000 in the form of toiletries, bottles of water, clothing, school supplies and cellular phones.
Leader of the Alliance for Change, Raphael Trotman, and several executive members had visited the Kingston fire victims and had handed over numerous boxes of clothing and toys.
Eric Phillips, of the African Cultural and Development Association (ACDA), Mings Products and Services Chief Executive Officer, Stanley Ming, The Benschop Foundation and many other persons also assisted.
Findings revealed that someone was cooking in one of the 26 rooms and might have forgotten the lighted kerosene stove and ventured outside, which later caused the building to be engulfed by flames.
Fire Chief Marlon Gentle had previously told reporters that the building was earmarked for demolition since 2007.
According to Gentle, the City Engineer’s Department had also encountered difficulties getting the occupants out of the building, even though it was deemed unsafe.
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