More than 20 shops were destroyed by a fire at the Lucea market in Hanover on Friday morning.
.png)
00:00
00:00
00:00
Vendor Karen Kelly, Assistant Superintendent Tamara Snow, and vegetable vendor Carlton
By Kimone Witter
More than 20 shops were affected by a fire on Friday morning at the Lucea market in Hanover.
Several vendors have lost their livelihoods after the structures and their contents were destroyed.
The blaze started shortly before 4 a.m.
Karen Kelly, who sold cooked meals, was reduced to tears after she assessed her loss, which included money.
Two units responded to the blaze after which assistance was sought from Montego Bay and Negril fire stations.
Assistant Superintendent Tamara Snow, of the Lucea Fire Station, said two shops were on fire when the brigade arrived at the market, but the blaze quickly spread.
She confirmed that a lack of water in the fire hydrant in the town hampered the firefighting efforts.
"The unit was depleted of its water source and we had to seek water all the way in Green Island, and that's a 30 minute drive from Lucea town," she pointed out.
Carlton, a vegetable vendor, agreed that the fire damage could have been minimised, if water was available in the town.
Assistant Superintendent Snow said the investigation is still ongoing, but about 28 shops were destroyed in the blaze.
The cause of the fire and estimate of damage are not yet known.
Meanwhile, a firefighter suffered an electric shock and was taken to a hospital for treatment.
His injuries are not considered life threatening.
comments powered by Disqus
All feeds
