Fire causes $1m in damages at Coronation Market

Bjorn Burke, Staff Reporter



A fireman looks on helplessly with a hose with no water to help put out a fire that burned several stalls at the Coronation Market in downtown Kingston yesterday - Ian Allen


Fire destroyed more than 14 stalls at the Coronation Market in downtown Kingston yesterday, leaving behind $1 million in damages.


Reports are that fire units from the York Park Fire Station responded to the blaze sometime after 3 p.m. and could only perform cooling-down operations. Fire personnel told THE STAR the estimated loss is $1 million, with a risk value of $30 million.


Several dispossessed vendors were seen pondering how they will recover from the blaze.


Everold Bowen, 26, owner of a structure which was reduced to ashes, was in disbelief. He lost $75,000 worth of goods.


"A me yard mi deh a sleep and mi get a phone call seh down yah a bun down. Mi come down yah, di whole place under fire. God know how me a go recover. Mi jus haffi go try again cause dis a di only thing mi know," Bowen explained.


Another vendor was equally stunned. "I'm in shock, give me a minute please," she said.


Up to press time last night, the cause of the fire was not ascertained.



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