Arthur Hall, Senior Staff Reporter

ALMOST TWO weeks after fire razed nine houses at 31 Slipe Road, better known as 'Board Villa' in west Kingston, the victims have been left on their own with little or no help from the authorities.

Battered and bruised, the more than 40 victims are pleading for help.

"Nobody nuh come look on we. We no see the member of parliament (Prime Minister Bruce Golding) or nobody," Jax, one of the victims, told The Sunday Gleaner yesterday

"We need some assistance. We get some mattress from the Ministry of Social Security, one tarpaulin and ODPEM set up one tent," Jax added.

The tent is a large disaster-relief issue set up on a playing field and designed to house all the victims.

"But people have to put their mattress on the ground. There is no base for a bed, no privacy for someone to change their clothes, and is we set up a light in there," another victim said.

"As much as people burn out, nobody can sleep in that. So people put them up even if them do like you, them won't allow you to sleep in that," said the victim, as she pointed to the canvas tent.

"We see house burn down in Denham Town in the constituency and build back quick, quick, so what about us?" a resident said as they pleaded for assistance.

"Is a good thing some of the schools help the children with uniforms and books to replace those destroyed in the fire," a mother of three children added.

About 11:30 p.m. on June 9, residents of Board Villa saw fire coming from a building on the premises.

The fire quickly spread, destroying the board houses which had been constructed in the aftermath of Hurricane Gilbert in 1988.

Name changed on request.