The blazing inferno that destroyed 95 stalls at the Pearnel Charles Arcade in Downtown, Kingston on Monday (Nov. 18) was no match for a Bible that was pulled out of the rubble after the fire was put out.
Vendors openly expressed their amazement at the find and one was observed in a video that has since gone viral, scrolling through the Holy Scripture as he expressed shock that none of the leaves were burnt.
“Out of everything weh burn, living fire, ah the Bible alone nuh ketch, not even a page, not even a page of the Bible and a living fire in deh. You can’t tell me say the thing not powerful, yute,” he said.
He continued in awe, “Not even a page nuh ketch, not even a fire burn, not even heat don’t touch it, the way the Bible powerful.”
The lives of more than 50 vendors have been affected as this a big blow to the vibrancy of the usually busy commercial district as the Yuletide season fast approaches.
So massive was the fire at the arcade, that it took a combined 46 firefighters from the Trench Town, Rollington Town, Half-Way tree, and York Park fire stations to out it.
The cause of the fire is still being investigated, but there have been several conflagrations at the location over the years. In 2012, a massive fire destroyed approximately 40 shops at the arcade.
Meanwhile in March, Mayor Andrew Swaby had announced a wide-ranging renovation programme for all markets and arcades under the jurisdiction of the Kingston and St. Andrew Municipal Corporation. The agency was slated to spend $25 million to renovate bathrooms at seven markets in Cross Roads and downtown Kingston.
