WHYONNIE Myles Brooks was dealt a devastating blow on Sunday morning after learning that her shop had been gutted by a fire at a section of Coronation Market in downtown Kingston, where she sold products to fund her cancer treatment.

She and several other vendors who lost goods in the fire which started in the wee hours of Sunday were at mid-morning seen searching the burnt rubble for any valuable items spared from the tragedy.

As she looked on in distress at the aftermath Myles Brooks told the Jamaica Observer that, after being diagnosed with breast cancer in 2020, vending was her way of staying active and earning for her medical tests.

“I got a call about 4:00 am this morning say down here is on fire so I leave my house in Harbour View and got here about 8:00 am and this is what I come and see,” the elderly woman said Sunday as she pointed to the burnt-out shell of her business place.

“I usually sell peas, onion, garlic, and even gungo peas — it nuh cheap enuh. All mi scale gone; not even mi scale deh deh fi start life over and mi really want the money fi go run some tests ya now,” she said.

Myles Brooks who held a bag of slippers — the only set of items saved from her shop — stressed that it will be challenging to restart.

“Everyday me affi a go doctor. Mi basically start come back out enuh, cause mi was home from 2020 and going through chemotherapy. The last thing mi buy was a pack of bags for the shop. Now, mi affi start over again,” she said as she shook her head.

Another vendor, who gave his name as Thomas, said he also received a call about the devastating news.

Thomas, who owned a cook shop in the market for more than 10 years, said he was looking forward to returning to work at the market this week as he spent last week in hospital recovering from an asthma attack.

“This is my only work, my likkle survival this. When mi get the call mi did surprised and affi rush come from Manchester weh mi live. I feel so broken thinking what my kids going get for Christmas,” said Thomas who is a father of five children.

“At 5:00 am when mi get the call seh the place burn down it was too late when mi reach, cause mi nuh save a thing,” he said.

Alton Hutchinson, who has been a vendor for over seven years, explained that he was awoken by the blaze while he was in his shop.

“Mi have a likkle place here weh mi do music. Saturday night mi usually stay here to protect mi things so while I was here I fell asleep, and about 3:00 am it look like the fire did start,” he told the Observer.

“Mi wake up and see everything a bun up around mi. Mi run out lef all mi shirt and slippers; mi two speaker bun up — only ting mi save a mi laptop. Is a tragedy dis inna the Christmas,” Hutchinson lamented.

Another vendor, Dwayne Fisher, who struggled to find words to describe his loss, said, “About 7:00 am a man told me that the whole a down here flat enuh. Scale, soursop, tarpaulin, TV, five bags of Irish — everything bun up. Right now mi not even know how mi feel. Mi vibes dead right inna di Christmas fi mek a thing.”

Eli Hall, who has been selling for over 30 years, noted that this is the second time that section of the market has been razed by fire.

“I was trying to save some things but mi nuh save nothing. Mi sell goods like Irish potato, onion, plantains, cucumber, and mi see them all in the heap over there. Suh it guh. Mi affi live to fight another day,” he said.

The vendors were unable to state the cause of the fire. Up to press time efforts to contact public relations officer at the Jamaica Fire Brigade, Emilio Ebanks were futile.

In February a section of the Ray Ray Market in downtown Kingston was damaged by fire, resulting in approximately $200 million in losses.