Shock and dread settled over the Manama Suq yesterday as residents and business owners lamented the human and financial cost of the huge blaze that burnt down rows of buildings in the traditional market on Wednesday.
Local vendors estimated that the fire, which started around 4pm in Block 304, along Road 432, of Manama, caused damages worth hundreds of thousands of dinars.
Mr Ameen, second from right, with employees and affected traders
“My family has been in the Manama Suq for more than 70 years now; four of my shops were gutted in the blaze,” 60-year-old Mohammed Ameen told the GDN.
“This included our textile, shoes and ladies tailoring shops. We are not sure how we are going to recover from this loss.”
Debris seen strewn across the empty alleys
The fire started in a multi-storey building near Shaikh Abdulla Avenue and quickly spread to neighbouring buildings.
More than 50 shops were affected, with approximately 15 to 20 burning down completely.
A fire truck conducts cooling operations in the affected area
According to official sources including the Interior Ministry and area MP Ahmed Qarata, nine people were injured and had to be treated for smoke inhalation, following the fire, which also claimed three lives.
When the GDN visited the site yesterday afternoon, firefighting teams were still busy cooling down the burnt remains of shops to avoid another blaze.
Smoke was seen rising above a shoe shop that was still smouldering nearly 18 hours after the big blaze.
Mr Masoom
“The fire spread very quickly; within five minutes, the entire row of shops was ablaze,” added 35-year-old Bangladeshi expatriate Sajib Mohammad Masoom, who managed Salala Tailoring and Mujammal MD Masoom Ghutra Tailoring.
“We didn’t even have a chance to respond, our priority was to save our lives. And now, our livelihoods are gone.
“All our merchandise and machinery was inside and we just didn’t have the time to get anything out.
“Both of the shops owned by my ‘arbab’ (Arabic for boss) burnt down.
“The building where I live was also near the burnt shops, so we were not allowed to return there. We stayed with some of our friends, although it was tough to get any sleep.”
The remains of a shop which was caught in the blaze
Meanwhile, another Bangladeshi trader was devastated because of the timing of the fire, around the busy Eid season.
Nizamuddin Abulkhair, 44, who sold dry fruits in the suq, expressed his hopes that the government and other authorities would step in to help them get back on their feet.
Although he was relieved that both the employees in the shop survived, he noted that the buildings would now need to be torn down before the shops are rebuilt.
“Our entire inventory is gone; we will have to start again from scratch,” he added.
“This is a sad and tragic moment for us; I hope we are able to recover.”
Water being sprayed on a gutted shop
Traders watched anxiously yesterday, crowding around the bright yellow barricade tape as Civil Defence and Interior Ministry personnel continued the cooling and search operations.
Some even tried to scramble to their shops to save any part of their inventory that they could, as approximately 400 shops in the immediate vicinity of the affected area remained closed yesterday, as a precautionary measure.
Meanwhile, the British Embassy in Manama expressed its solidarity with residents affected by the tragedy.
“The British Embassy sends its sympathies and well-wishes to our neighbours, the residents of Manama, following the fire in the suq,” a spokesperson said, in a statement.
“Our thoughts are with you. We have been in Manama very nearly 125 years and have always been made to feel a part of this very hospitable community.
“We commend the response of Bahrain’s Civil Defence teams.”
Capital Municipal Council president Saleh Tarradah also visited the site yesterday to review the damage.
He lauded the efforts of Civil Defence firemen in extinguishing the fire and rescuing people.
He also noted that the council and the Capital Secretariat were working with the authorities to take necessary measures within their jurisdiction to deal with the aftermath of the blaze.
naman@gdnmedia.bh
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