A fire in Haiti destroyed Cuirs HawTan, one of the largest tanneries in the Caribbean. The flames broke out on Sunday, November 10th, around 7 am, enveloping the entire building that houses the tannery.
The report
The fire broke out inside the tannery, located in the Mariani district of the Municipality of Carrefour. Alerted by residents, the fire brigade of Carrefour and Port-au-Prince immediately arrived on the scene, containing the flames, preventing them from attacking neighbouring buildings. However, the tannery came out almost completely destroyed. The origin of the flames is still unknown.
Relapses
Cuirs HawTan has been operating in Haiti since 1978. The Carrefour plant employs around 160 people. The leather tanned by the company is mainly exported to North America, Asia and Europe. Destination: gloves, clothing and small leather goods. Daniel Gallagher, director of the company, has estimated losses for some millions of dollars, anticipating that it will take months before activities are resumed.
Image from hawtanleathermanufacturers.com
