Four persons were evacuated from an early morning fire that ravaged a building that housed a business and living quarters at New Road, Vreed-en-Hoop, West Bank Demerara (WBD).
The fire completely gutted the two-storey structure. No one was injured.
The Guyana Fire Service (GFS) initially reported that it had rescued one individual and was searching for three others who may have been trapped in the building. However, they were evacuated and taken to the hospital before the fire service arrived.
A neighbour, 72-year-old Jaidev Dudnaught told this publication that persons were gathered at the nearby bar when they suddenly noticed thick smoke emanating from the Chinese Restaurant and Apartment building.
Upon investigating, they discovered that the ABC restaurant, located directly opposite the bar, was engulfed in flames.
The structure destroyed by fire
Dudnaught was alerted as the fire was in close proximity to his property.
“The rum shop guys apparently know me, that I live here, so when they make the alarm there, that the fire started, the guys came to alert me about it.”
He added, “One of the guys who were next door in the bar, in the house there, jumped my fence and ran up the step, rapped at my door, telling me, wake up, wake up, uncle, wake up. But when he was downstairs rapping at my door, I was upstairs, recognising that it’s the fire, and I already put the car key in the hand to get ready to remove my car parked up outside,” Dudnaught stated
The origin of the fire is currently unknown. Eyewitness explained that the ambulance service arrived before the fire trucks and rescued three women, who were trapped on the upper floor of the building.
“This was a spot where people would normally come in the Chinese to come and eat and drink and but nobody was missing, they were sent to the hospital before the fire serviced reached on the scene so when the fire police didn’t see the three people, they thought the three people were being consumed in the fire,” the man said.
Meanwhile, the Chinese businessman, who occupied the lower floor of the building was rescued after the firemen cut through the bars on the windows and he was taken out to safety.
Home Affairs Minister, Robeson Benn, who was on the scene overseeing the operations of emergency services as they manage the aftermath of the fire.
The building was completely destroyed, resulting in millions of dollars in losses.
