Traders crestfallen, lose millions:

Seasonal goods go up in smoke

By Kurulu Kariyakarawana

It was a sorry scene to see the extent of damage caused by an unexpected fire which broke out in the Pettah. A place once filled with shops hoarding a variety of fancy items and other items were reduced to ashes leaving only the iron frames of the line of shops.

Distressed vendors were seen gazing across the piles of cinder losing all hope of a sound business in the Christmas season.

Some were seen expressing their grief to a journalist while others were eagerly awaiting a state official to arrive at the scene and compensate their loss. Whether they are compensated or not the irreparable damage to the financial status of these small scale vendors in the Pettah is irreversible and the scars will remain for many years to come.

With Christmas round the corner, vendors in Bodhiraja Mawatha in the Pettah were busy arranging their newly bought stocks of garments, footwear and clothing accessories for sale in the congested line of mini shops. Many shops opened till late into the night for night shoppers and constant commuters who pass through the area.

The area is rather compact with levels and levels of fancy items and goods piled opposite bigger retail shops and marketed by the sales people.

The daily routine of the area was flowing as usual until somebody made a frenzied cry and raised the alarm of a fire and that smoke was billowing from one of the shops in the row of shops.

It was around 7.45pm when the people in the area noticed clouds of dark dense smoke being emitted from the roof of a shop which was closed.

The vendors of the shops flanking this shop immediately started to remove their goods out of the premises which was a futile attempt. Soon the roaring flames engulfed the flanking shops melting everything that stood in its way and spread fast to the adjoining shops.

Desperate vendors did not have a single moment to lose thinking whether to douse the fire or to remove their goods as far as possible. Within a short time of 10 minutes the entire line of shops was on fire.

By the time the fire engines arrived at the scene amidst the congested streets of the Pettah the fire had done sufficient damage to property of 104 vendors.

The fire was brought under control by the fire fighters with the assistance of the police and the people in the area. No injuries had been reported except for the damage caused to a large extent of goods.

The Sunday Observer spoke to the owner of the shop from where the fire broke out Ranasingha Arachchige Nishantha of Maligawatta and he said that around 7.00pm he had closed his shop and left.

But before leaving he made sure that the lamp lit for Lord Buddha was put out. When he was on his way home somebody called him nd said that his shop was on fire. Nishantha immediately returned and found that it was not only his shop but the entire line of shops were on fire.

"I purchased bags, belts, footwear and caps worth Rs.1.4million to be sold during this coming season. I took them on loan and the entire stock perished in the fire.

I am positive that I put out the lamp before I left the place," he insisted.Mangalika of Kelaniya another vendor who was in tears explained how she had been feeding her family with the income she earned from her shop and that it would take years for her to overcome the loss. "We were so committed to this place and worked really hard despite heavy rains.

This is the season where we could earn some extra money by selling all these items before the new year. But all those hopes have been dashed. What matters now is to how we could repay the loans borrowed from many people to buy these goods," she wept.

Mangalika requested President Mahinda Rajapaksa to intervene and save their lives by granting some kind of compensation. "We have done our business for a long time here, we plead from the President to grant us the same place to continue our living," Mangalika said.

Ranasingha Arachchige Nishantha

Opposition Leader of the Colombo Municipal Council Ajantha Liyanage who visited the scene said a special meeting will be held by the Commissioner of the CMC with members of the Urban Development Authority and relevant parties under the instructions of Secretary Defence Gothabaya Rajapaksa once the Government Analyst visits the scene.

He said that 104 shops had been completely destroyed by the fire and necessary action will immediately be taken to restore the place for the affected parties.

Meanwhile Vice President of the Federation of Self Employees (FOSE Market) Joseph Anton said that the traders have faced a grave situation as millions of rupees worth of goods they purchased on credit to be sold during the festive season have perished in the fire.

Almost all the traders have purchased their goods from the surrounding bazaar and now they are eternally indebted to them.

However, referring to the sudden fire which broke out in the Pettah, Anton said that it was suspicious how a fire broke out in that manner and spread so fast which he attributed as an intended sabotage and conspiracy by another emerging trade organisation of the same area. He requested the authorities to hold an impartial inquiry into the fire and bring the perpetrators to book.

Meanwhile Police Spokesman SSP Ajith Rohana said that a special investigation is being conducted by the Pettah Police while the Government Analyst and the Area Electrical Engineer are expected to issue reports on the fire.