Clean-up operations are underway at Ray Ray Market on West Queen Street in downtown Kingston following an early morning fire.
Four units from the Jamaica Fire Brigade responded to the blaze which started about 4 o’clock.
Two hundred stalls were destroyed.
A shop and an adjoining building on Pechon Street were damaged.
Some of the vendors told RJR News that they lost several barrels which were in a storeroom.
Eugennie Smith, 69, said her two barrels of goods were destroyed. She was distraught as she explained to RJR News that she had lost everything and had no one to help.
“I have no other source, no help, nobody fi stretch hand to me if me even want a night dinner; if me come and nothing nuh sell out a the barrel, me affi do without,” she bemoaned.
Shop operator Errol Fearon said his goods, which valued about $400,000, were also destroyed.
The vendors, in the meantime, are calling for the Kingston and St. Andrew Municipal Corporation to increase security at the market.
One of the vendors, Velma Peterkin, suggested to RJR News that the spate of market fires is a result of inadequate security.
“We cyah tek it no more, we need the place more secure; we need security inna the place (because) we a pay we money that them can build up fence and get security in yah,” she declared.
When RJR News caught up with Mayor of Kingston Delroy Williams, who toured the market Tuesday morning, he said an investigation will be carried out into the spate of market fires.
The cause of the blaze at the Ray Ray Market is not known.
However, the mayor said the municipal corporation will address security concerns during the restoration of the market.
There have also been calls by the vendors for financial assistance, but the mayor has said there was no promise made to the vendors that the government would assist in either purchasing or re-purchasing lost goods.
“We do try to see how we can help, but our main emphasis would be to basically rebuild the space for them… to continue operating their business,” said Williams.