Georgetown: Fire, suspected to be electrical in nature Friday night destroyed an apartment complex housing some 50 occupants.
The building was occupied by students of the University of Guyana (UG), Cyril Potter College of Education (CPCE), Rajiv Gandhi Medical School and non-student residents.
“It is very difficult for me now because it is like I have to start back over in life. I lost all of my qualifications and documents and everything I’ve worked hard for. It is not being materialistic, but you set targets to achieve things in life to be comfortable and when you lose that in the wink of an eye, it is hard to comprehend,” an emotional student said.
The fire began at around 20.30hrs and firefighters were still battling the flames at midnight.
Once again, the nation’s inadequate fire-fighting capabilities were glaringly exposed. While four fire tenders were at the scene, they all ran out of water, and two pumps malfunctioned while the crewmen were trying to access water from a silt-filled canal.
Some eyewitness recounted seeing wires sparking in a section of the building and then seeing flames.
One student told Kaieteur News that he was cooking in the upper flat when he smelt something burning. He then went outside and observed flames emanating from a locked apartment. He and another tenant attempted to kick the door in, but by then, the flames had spread.
The student said that he lost everything in his apartment, including cash, passport, laptop and other valuables.
Another tenant said that he was returning from a nearby supermarket when he saw that the building was on fire. The man, who is an Indian national, said that he had been renting an apartment there for six years.
A tenant who lived in a similar structure next door said she was sleeping when she heard an explosion. On looking outside, she saw the building engulfed in flames.
Some residents opined that the structure could have been saved had the fire tenders arrived with adequate water.
However, one firefighter was overheard saying that the crew was unable to immediately tackle the blaze due to the presence of live wires. Guyana Power and Light (GPL) crewmen eventually disconnected the power in the area.
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