A BUSINESSMAN says he is heartbroken after fire destroyed his restaurant.
Turon Miah, owner of the Gulshan in Newtown, was speaking after fire fighters worked for hours to put out the blaze at his Broad Street restaurant.
The fire is believed to have started in the kitchen of the premises some time after 11pm on December 27.
The blaze also left Spar’s store (based on the ground floor of the building) closed due to water and smoke damage. Neighbouring Rainbow’s End was also forced to close.
Mr Miah said he was distraught at seeing the restaurant he had only refurbished four months ago destroyed in the space of a few hours.
He said: “I’m heartbroken. You cannot believe it. It’s all my hard work gone, it’s just unbelievable.
“It’s terrible but the main thing is that nobody was hurt, that’s what I feel more than anything else.”
In total six fire engines attended the scene with crews from Newtown, Welshpool, Montgomery, Llanidloes, Llanfair Caereinion and Aberystwyth all called into action.
The firefighters used breathing apparatus to make their way to the top of the stairs where they started to tackle the blaze.
Bill Swindlehurst, assistant county commander with Mid and West Wales Fire Service, said his officers had been faced with a perilous situation.
He said: “It was extremely hazardous. Fully developed fires are extremely hazardous for firefighters and that’s what we were faced with.”
Mr Miah said he had been overwhelmed by the reaction of the people of Newtown.
He also revealed that it will be at least ‘three or four months’ before they will able to re-open.
He said: “People in the town have been coming up to ask if they can help and that they are so sorry for us about what has happened. I really appreciate the reaction of the community and my customers.
“People have even come to my house and asked if I need any help. You can’t ask for any more than that.
“One thing is I have to say sorry to all my customers who had bookings. They have supported me for the past 11 years and hopefully we will be back as soon as we can.”
Meanwhile, Mr Swindlehurst urged all business owners concerned about fire safety to get in touch.
He said: “This fire highlights the damage and the serious impact it can have on a business.
“All businesses should ensure that their Fire Risk Assessment is up to date and if anyone requires any assistance they can contact the fire service on 0370 6060699.”