Deplorable access road prevents fire service from saving burning building
$12M in losses at Hauraruni Multi-Purpose Hall
Residents of Hauraruni village on the Linden/Sosedyke Highway are calling on the authorities to fix their access road after a fire destroyed the village’s Multi-Purpose Hall due the fire tender’s inability to drive on the road to get to the scene.
The fire occurred on Tuesday, June 12, 2018. According to Jonathan Banwarie, a pastor who is living in the little community, the fire started at about 02:00hrs after which residents formed a bucket brigade.
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Sections of the building destroyed by the fire.
The Guyana Fire Service, located 20 minutes away, was called but Banwarie said the fire tender could not get to the scene due to the “terrible” state of the main access road.
The residents managed to save a section of the building which is used for summer camps, a church and training activities.
He said the losses amounted to some $12M in mattresses, furniture and other items.
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The pastor said the community which was established for over three decades has been denied a proper access road though several letters were sent to the government.
“For too long we have been witnessing other communities less populated than us – who also have been established decades after us – are having proper access roads, which we know for a fact is of a bigger budget compared to the estimated budget for our road. Our road is approximately one and a half kilometres long,” the Pastor told News Room.
Residents called on the Ministry of Public Infrastructure to build the access road since the fare for a taxi to the village has also increased as the road deteriorates.
