CBD counts the cost of fire devastation

Yolandé Hayward HERALD REPORTER

WHILE the smoke across Port Elizabeth‘s central business district dissipated yesterday, the devastation and the implications of the fire that gutted the old Greatermans building started to dawn on business owners.

The fire, which broke out on Tuesday in Mr Crazy, one of the shops in the building, destroyed most of the building, including four of its shops.

The gutted shops were Exact, Total Sports, Street Fever and Mr Crazy. A few smaller shops at the back of the building, although they did not burn down, also suffered smoke and water damage.

On Wednesday, the only thought that went through the mind of Broadway owner Mohamed Salanjee was to salvage whatever he could while smoke from the fire filled his shop and water from the fire hoses streamed in.

Yesterday, only after he managed to get most of the stock out of his shop, did he realise the extent of what had happened.

Salanjee said the building needed to be rebuilt. “Until then I cannot open for business and will lose out on profit.”

It was not easy to find new premises for a shop, he said. He also has 12 employees whose jobs are now hanging in the balance.

Men‘s outfitter Croft Magill & Watson, in the building adjacent to the old Greatermans building, has also closed its doors indefinitely. Nick Mowbray said that although the fire did not spread to his building, it had caused some structural, water and smoke damage.

Some of the businesses in the vicinity that were evacuated on Tuesday were trading again yesterday.

Alpha Kebe, owner of clothing store Touba Lamp Fall, said he had just given his shop windows a quick wipe and put some fans on to get rid of the smoke before opening yesterday morning.

The building‘s owner, Dr Suleman Bemath, said it was gut- wrenching to see one‘s building go up in flames. He said the long- term plan was to rebuild.

Municipal spokesman Lourens Schoeman said the fire was still smouldering yesterday. It could take up to two days to put it out completely.

He said fire-fighting costs would be the responsibility of the owner of the building. “The cost will only be calculated after the fire is put out completely.”