The first report of the accident was received at 5:15 p.m. on Sunday. Photo/Listín Diario.
SANTO DOMINGO. – The large fire that consumed a warehouse containing all kinds of products at Merca Santo Domingo on Sunday afternoon has resulted in estimated losses of between 700 and 800 million pesos, reported the director of the establishment, Socrates Diaz, yesterday.
The fire occurred in a large warehouse, divided into blocks, which contained rice, beans, garlic, onions, potatoes, oil, detergents, paper, whiskey, rum, beer, soft drinks and water.
The firefighters' intervention was initially limited because the affected premises belong to private businesses and their owners are the ones who have the access keys.
“I only have access to one door, which we opened immediately, but the others remained closed,” the official explained to Listín Diario.
Despite the efforts, the fire spread rapidly due to the highly flammable nature of the stored products.
“The fire got out of control. At that moment, our priority was to protect human life, and we cordoned off the area to prevent the entry of owners or passersby,” Díaz added.
Regarding the losses, the director of Merca estimated that they are around 700 or 800 million pesos, although some preliminary reports mention about 500 million.
“I have to be realistic. Just one business owner here had investments exceeding 50 million pesos. We're talking about 56 affected business owners,” he stated. He added that the ship will also have to be destroyed.
The cause of the fire has not yet been determined. Forensic teams and firefighters from various towns are conducting investigations to clarify the origin of the blaze.
“It should be people with technical knowledge who give us accurate information,” Díaz stressed.
Merchants at the Merca market made an urgent appeal to President Luis Abinader for assistance following the fire. “We are not here to make accusations. We are here to call on the President of the Republic to come to the aid of the merchants who have been affected,” said Ortega Alcántara, president of the Santo Domingo Market Merchants and Producers Association.
Source and photo: Listin Diario.
