Fire razes Indian Expo at Divali Nagar

Source: https://www.guardian.co.tt/article-6.2.381768.0eae99bde2

Written by SHASTRI BOODAN

Indian national Amit Alag, who operated the Festivals of India Expo at the Divali Nagar Site in Chaguanas, says the fire which ravaged the operation has left him penniless and put 150 workers on the breadline."I am penniless. What can I do, how can I start over?" Alag said yesterday, saying he believed the fire was a deliberate act of arson.Deputy chief fire officer Kenny Gopaul later confirmed that the $20 million fire was not accidental.Gopaul said a fire sentry on duty at the Chaguanas Fire Station, located on the opposite side of the highway to the Divali Nagar, spotted the fire just after 2.30 am and five appliances were dispatched to the site.

Gopaul said a guard at the Nagar said he heard loud explosions but did not investigate because he thought they were gunshots. He said 99 per cent of the expo was gutted but the police would now be called in to investigate the matter.Yesterday, a distraught Alag, who was renting the space from the National Council of Indian Culture (NCIC), said 50 merchants from India peddled their wares of mostly clothing and religious articles from a paved spot on the south east end of the compound.The Indian national, who is married to a Trinidadian, has been trading in this country for the past ten years, often travelling between India and Trinidad to do business. Alag said he returned last month.

Chaguanas mayor Gopaul Boodhan said he was deeply concerned about the fate of some 150 T&T nationals employed on the site. He said he had already started lobbying the Chaguanas Chamber of Commerce and Chaguanas to find ways to assist."These are people who have bills to pay, mouths to feed and are today out of a job. We at the borough sympathise with the owners and we hope the officials find the cause of the fire as soon as possible," Boodhan said, adding the fire raises serious concerns about safety and security in the borough.He said he planned to raise the issue of fire safety with fire officials so they can make routine checks to ensure businesses in the borough have the correct fire prevention measures in place. The mayor also called on businesses to ensure they have extinguishers and other equipment on hand should fires break out.

NCIC head Deokienanan Sharma said Alag started renting the area three years ago. He said the executive was expected to meet last night to discuss the matter but was thankful that the Bisram Gopie Hall, the main building at the Nagar, was not damaged.Sharma said in the late 1990 arsonists tried to burn down the Nagar but failed. He said they were now unlikely to allow a similar facility on the site unless all fire precautions are undertaken. Sharma too was worried about the fate of the workers and noted that security at the facility would be boosted.