The Tribune

By NICO SCAVELLA

Tribune Staff Reporter

nscavella@tribunemedia.net

STRAW Market vendors in New Providence yesterday donated goods and funds to their displaced counterparts in George Town, Exuma, whose market was destroyed by fire almost a week ago.

Kevin Simmons, Straw Market Authority chairman, told The Tribune yesterday that upon hearing of last Wednesday’s fire, the vendors from the Nassau Straw Market decided to donate items from their own respective inventories, along with an unspecified amount of funds.

According to Mr Simmons, a bank account is also being established to safely deposit and transfer the money.

He said the delivery of the goods to vendors in Exuma would begin as early as today. As of yesterday afternoon he said donations continued to pour in.

Deputy Prime Minister Philip “Brave” Davis, the minister responsible for the Straw Market, was reportedly also present for the donation ceremony, according to Mr Simmons.

“(The vendors) collected some items they took from their own inventory and some funds to send to assist the straw vendors in Exuma to assist in getting back on their feet and being able to have products to sell,” Mr Simmons said. “The donations are still coming in, and I thought it was a handsome donation on the part of the Straw Market vendors.

“It was presented to the Straw Market Authority to be forwarded to the vendors down there. We’re establishing an account for that, and as the minister with responsibility for the straw markets and we saw it fitting that (Mr Davis) be here to see what was going on, as he was intimately involved in ensuring the Straw Market in Exuma gets up and running in the shortest amount of time.”

On Sunday, Sandals Resorts International (SRI) announced its donation of $10,000 to aid the relief effort.

SRI’s Exuma property Sandals Emerald Bay also offered the use of “Sandals largest tent as a temporary market” so that vendors could conduct their business in the interim.

That announcement came on the heels of Prime Minister Perry Christie pledging last week that the government would be “taking the necessary steps to assist the vendors in resuming their business operations as soon as is practically possible.”

On Monday, Fire Chief Superintendent Walter Evans confirmed that the fire was the result of an “electrical short circuit.”

He said that as a result of the short circuit, the “entire wooden setup” was ignited, completely destroying the structure.

Supt Evans told The Tribune that on the night of the fire, officials had no fire truck to combat the blaze. He said officials had to use a truck from the Bahamas Electricity Corporation as well as an airport crash/fire/rescue truck to combat the fire.

Supt Evans said by the time those trucks arrived, the fire had already progressed to an “advanced stage,” leaving officials with no way to save the structure. Instead, they worked to prevent the fire from spreading.