100 employees displaced after multimillion dollar fire
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Update time : 2026-02-09 15:07:25
Water shortages and reinforced steel doors hampered firefighters as they battled an early-morning blaze that gutted Anand Low Price Supermarket in La Romaine, leaving about 100 employees from the supermarket and neighbouring Bentley’s temporarily jobless.
The fire, which broke out around 3:43 am at the Gulf City location, drew a coordinated response from the Trinidad and Tobago Fire Service, with appliances dispatched from Mon Repos headquarters, Penal and Chaguanas. Speaking to Guardian Media, acting Deputy Chief Fire Officer Ansar Ali said firefighters faced significant challenges on arrival, as low water pressure in the area and limited access to the building slowed containment efforts.
“The water supply in the area was a bit low, and we were eventually supported by WASA tankers,” he said.
Flames were first observed at the front of the building, closer to the highway. According to Ali, the fire completely gutted the upper level housing the grocery section of Anand Low Price Supermarket. While the external walls remain standing, the interior was destroyed.
“The entire inside has been gutted,” Ali said. “The doors to the building gave us some challenges. They were steel doors locked from the inside, which made access difficult, along with the risk of collapsing walls.”
Employees looked on in tears as the fire consumed the supermarket. Bentley’s, located below, was saved from destruction but sustained water damage during firefighting operations. Ali said the hotel section downstairs suffered only minimal damage.
