A COMMUNITY leader has renewed his call for the installation of a fire warning system in the Manama Suq, following the massive blaze in which three people died and nine others were injured on Wednesday.
Old Manama Suq Committee vice-president Mahmood Al Namleti also urged authorities to compensate those affected by the fire which took 30 hours for Civil Defence personnel to bring under control.
Twenty-five shops were completely gutted and many others were damaged, said Mr Al Namleti in a statement yesterday.
“It is of utmost importance to compensate shop owners and employees who have lost their livelihoods,” he said.
“To some, these businesses were their only source of income.
“To make matters worse, the fire came during the Eid season, when they were expecting to make their most sales. The blaze destroyed the products and stocks they prepared and which they live off by selling.
“At the end of the day, the shops are owned by Bahraini citizens, some of whom work in the shops themselves and some who rent them out, and they don’t have anything else.
“People of various nationalities working in the suq also deserve to be compensated.”
Mr Al Namleti said early fire warning systems should be installed all along the old market, and smoke detectors inside shops, which must be routinely inspected and maintained.
He added that authorities must ensure that there are fire extinguishers and water reservoirs distributed all throughout the market, and that water sprinklers undergo regular maintenance.
“We must be prepared and make sure that fire-combating devices and equipment are always ready in case fires break out in the future, God forbid,” Mr Al Namleti stated.
“All preventative and precautionary measures should be taken, especially as there has been an increase in fires in the suq as of late. It is tough to deal with blazes here.
“The Old Manama Suq is narrow, its alleyways are tight and the shops are all really close to one another, which makes access difficult for fire trucks and Civil Defence.”
He also felt that people working in and around the suq must be educated on the importance of fire prevention, and be taught to store flammable materials safely, and avoid leaving electric wires exposed to the elements.
He suggested carrying out an awareness campaign and distributing leaflets with instructions on how to prevent fires, printed in various languages.
The GDN reported yesterday that an investigation has been launched into the fire, which eyewitnesses say was sparked by a short-circuit.
The fire reportedly started at around 4pm on Wednesday in a multi-storey building on Road 432, Block 304 on Shaikh Abdulla Avenue near a number of textile shops.
The body of a man was found on Wednesday night, with two more female bodies found on Thursday. A coroner and forensic scientists were summoned to examine the scene of the tragedy.
About 400 shops have been shut down after the blaze.
zainab@gdnmedia.bh
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