"Berkat" market fire victims denied compensation

Entrepreneurs who suffered losses in the fire at the "Berkat" market in Grozny on September 27 have complained of a refusal in compensation. Workers cleared the site for construction of a new pavilion to replace the burnt one.

According to entrepreneurs, on September 28, the market managers informed the fire victims that after a new pavilion was constructed, they would be given places in it. Meanwhile, they were "warned that they should not expect compensation."

"Dozens of people lost their goods... The managers promised to expel from the market those who would try to make claims," said one of the entrepreneurs.

A staff member of the market administration has explained that "it is impossible to determine the amount of damage caused by the fire, since everything is burnt out."

Local residents believe that the owners of the trading outlets suffered enormous damage.

The entrepreneurs note that the fire "occurred by no means for the first time in the 'Berkat' market over the past several years." According to the businessmen, the city authorities "did nothing to prevent such cases."

In general, doing business in Chechnya is difficult, the entrepreneurs believe. Meanwhile, the authorities of the republic support some businessmen, for example, singer Timur Yunusov (Timati), who on September 19 opened a Black Star Burger restaurant in Grozny.

Full text of the article is available on the Russian page of 24/7 Internet agency ‘Caucasian Knot’.