Traders report significant damage observed after the spread of the fire, the origin of which remains unknown. The local press recalls that the city of Gonaïves has not had a fire department for several years.
On the night of Monday June 3, a fire broke out in the northern sector of the Gonaïves Communal Market caused considerable damage, reports the local press. The compartments intended for the sale of cosmetic products, food supplies and various items were practically destroyed by the flames which spread in record time, deplore local sources.
Despite the mobilization of volunteer hands, the dedication shown was not enough to contain the fire. For the moment, no figures have been put forward to assess the losses. From dawn on Tuesday, the victims struggled to contain their tears in the face of the extent of the damage. Traders having contracted debts to financial operators, wholesalers cornered by the security and socio-economic crisis do not know which way to turn to honor their obligations to their creditors.
In the City of Independence, for several years, the Town Hall has operated without a fire department, reveals a committed citizen. In 2014, a fire station inaugurated by the Directorate of Civil Protection (DPC) in Morne-Blanc on February 24 remained dysfunctional.
It should be noted that in 2020, firefighters paralyzed the operation of the service in order to claim more than two years of salary arrears. Under the administration of former mayor Neil Latortue, they slammed the door for not being able to receive an administrative contract from City Hall.
Hervé Noel
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