The businessman of Diamond, East Bank Demerara whose property was damaged after a gas eruption on Thursday evening, has expressed remorse for what occurred.
In a statement from the Region Four Democratic Council, Soownauth Gorakh known as “Water man” said at the time of the explosion, he was building a reservoir to access water as the community has been experiencing unstable water distribution.
He “expressed unreserved remorse and sadness over the incident,” the RDC noted in a statement Saturday. The family estimates over $20M in losses.
“There are times when the water would go for three, four days and we thought that it would be easier for us to build a reservoir so that we can have water more consistently,” the evidently distressed businessman was quoted as saying in the release.
Gorakh also said he has met with affected neighbours and expressed his regret.
The man resided with his wife, Tulabhaduree Gorakh and his three children, ages nine, 15 and 18.
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The businessman said he has lost everything since the slush and gas destroyed everything in the house.
“I am at loss as to what we will do as everything that we built over the years together have all gone. We were doing something that we thought we could have… as this reservoir was not for commercial purposes and the residents nearby can attest to that,” the man’s wife told members of the Diamond/Grove Neighbourhood Democratic Council (NDC) who are helping in the cleanup efforts along with the Civil Defence Commission (CDC).
The family is currently staying with neighbours who are providing food, clothing and shelter.
According to the statement, the man told the NDC that he is not rich and makes a living from his small water business which is not located away from his home.
Chairman of the NDC, Bharrat Narine, has since disclosed that an investigation has been launched by the local government body.
According to the statement, Narine said a response team was set up by the health department.
The incident had spewed a foundation of muddy water and rocks about 30 feet in the air, causing massive destruction to the owner’s and two nearby properties and continued until Friday morning.
The mechanism will be akin to the one which was constructed in 2009 at a house at Second Bridge, Grove – where a similar ‘gas eruption’ incident had taken place.
