Police continue to investigate a fire at Citipointe West Marketplace on Freeman Road, Durack, which left a man dead.
The cause of the fire, which emergency services were called to extinguish at 6.45am on Friday, 28 November, remains unknown, police said.
The fire was extinguished in the morning, but police said they did not gain entry to the building until 6pm that evening, due to safety concerns, when the remains of the man were found.
The remains were identified as being those of a 44-year-old man three days later, on 1 December.
Citipointe Community Care, a charity run by It’s Not Ok Projects, owns the marketplace where it stores food supplies for the community, along with hundreds of Christmas hampers.
All of which was destroyed by the fire.
The marketplace opened in 2019 and provided “20 to 30 tonnes of free fruit, vegetables, bread, and milk every single week to those in need,” a spokesperson for the charity wrote online.
“More than 10,000 individuals and families access our services each month, relying on this space for essential food relief, stability, and dignity in difficult seasons.
“The loss of the building, contents, and stock represents not just damage to a structure or an organisation, but a direct impact on the well-being of our community.”
Police said they were treating the fire as suspicious and encouraged anyone with relevant information, CCTV or dashcam footage to come forward.
Citipointe has set up a GoFundMe page and hopes to use the funds raised to rebuild West Marketplace, which they said had “always been more than a food hub.”
“Every week, over 100 volunteers create a place of connection, empowerment, and practical help through community programs and multicultural community initiatives. This has been a safe space where people find support, friendship, and pathways forward.
“Our city needs Marketplace so every financial contribution towards the rebuilding of a resource and a community is greatly appreciated.”
