The Hotel Aramaya that suffered a fire this Monday that caused the death of a 31-year-old woman did not have the authorization of the National Directorate of Firefightersbut it was enabled by the Municipality of Montevideo (IM) to continue running. The reason: counted with the necessary prevention implements and had the authorization process in progresssources from both organizations confirmed to The Observer.
However, Firefighters and the Intendancy have disparate versions about the last process of firefighters qualification carried out by the hotel, whose facilities were used by the Ministry of Development (Mides) to accommodate mothers with children.
While from the IM they indicated that a procedure began in October 2021, that was in effect when the building was last inspected June 2022, Firefighters indicated that the last request from that company was made between March and May 2021.
If the procedure does not advance, the fire extinguishers, the hoses, the alarms requested by the Fire Department are not installed, the request falls within a period of about a yearreported to The Observer the Fire Director, Ricardo Riaño. “We had a preview in March, but then it was cut”, he claimed. Before that the hotel “He did an authorization process in 2020 that was canceled in February 2021”and then carried out “other procedures” that “did not prosper”declared the director.
Sources from the capital’s Intendancy detailed that the authorization process is currently expiredalthough they do not know why.
From the IM they indicated that Aramaya was enabled to operate until June 2023 after they ensured that the authorization of Firefighters was in process and that the establishment renew the charge of the fire extinguishersafter verifying that all of them were overdueas read in the hotel’s authorization document of June 14 of this year, which was agreed by The Observer.
According to a document available to the Intendancy which was also accessed by this medium, the company made the purchase of six charges for fire extinguishers on July 29 for a cost of $3,770. “Yesterday the fire extinguishers were in the hotel, the alarm did not exist”said Riaño for his part.
The minutes also instructed those responsible for the premises to present within a period of five business days the “updated worksheet” and current health card of the staff. They were also asked to send in 30 calendar days the “invoice for hygiene and disinfection of water tanks” and the result of a “bacteriological analysis” carried out by a company authorized by the IM.
IM sources detailed that “a closure is not planned” of the hotel, due to the presence of implements necessary for fire prevention. When these elements are not found, they continued, it is when closures are arranged. The commune made himself available to Mides through the Departmental Emergency Coordination Center (Cecoed) of Montevideo.
