East Ruimveldt explosion: “I beg him to fight” for his life – wife of critically injured man

The 56-year-old East Ruimveldt, Georgetown man who was injured during an alleged gas bottle explosion, which destroyed sections of his home, on Sunday morning, remains in critical condition at the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC). Troy Alleyne of Pineapple Street and Front Road, East Ruimveldt, Georgetown, sustained severe burns to approximately 88 per cent of his body in the explosion, which occurred at about 02:32h on Sunday. He is currently a patient in the hospital’s burn unit, where his condition remains critical. However, his wife, Melissa Alleyen, told Guyana Times he has shown slight signs of responsiveness. “The doctor told me he’s still in critical condition…but to me, he’s improving,” Melissa said.
“When I ask him questions that require yes or no, he’s shaking his head… he’s opening his eyes and everything.” “I told him this morning, raise your foot… he raise it. Raise your hand… he raised it.” She added, “when I go there, I beg him to fight it [fight for his life]… I really want him to come back.” Melissa explained that the family had retired to bed the night before, but she awoke around 02:32h and immediately detected a strong smell of gas. “I woke up at 2:32 in the morning… I came out of the room… I smelled strong gas,” she said. “I told my husband, ‘Troy, come… I smell strong gas. Come and smell and see if it’s me alone.’”
She said Alleyne went downstairs to investigate the source of the smell when the explosion occurred. “He went downstairs… like two to three seconds after, I heard boom. Everything was damaged,” she said. The explosion caused extensive structural damage to the two-storey building, with sections of the eastern side collapsing and parts of the upper flat, including bedrooms, destroyed. Debris from the collapse fell onto the lower level. At the time, at least six adults, including Venezuelan nationals, and two babies, including her two-year-old daughter, were in the building. Two apartments on the lower floor were being rented.
Despite the force of the blast, Melissa said that their two children, ages two and 10, and the other occupants managed to escape. One female tenant reportedly sustained minor injuries to her ankle. Melissa described the chaotic moments to Guyana Times, following the explosion. “After I heard the explosion, I started seeing red. When I looked up, everything was busting up in the sky… the walls, the wardrobe, the bed, the floor… everything was caving in,” she said. “I tried to catch myself, and I scrambled… I ran for the baby… I grabbed my son and pulled them out of the window. Once I was able to get them out, I started shouting for ‘Troy, Troy’ but I didn’t get any answer.” She said her husband was later found outside the home.” “He was out there… sitting on a chair. I don’t know how he got outside… but God was with him.” Public-spirited citizens assisted in rescuing the injured man and rushed him to the hospital before emergency services arrived. He was immediately admitted to the hospital’s burn unit.

While the explosion is suspected to be gas-related, the exact cause remains under investigation.
Not consistent with a gas cylinder explosion
When Guyana Times revisited the scene on Monday, investigators were seen combing the area. Shortly after, Melissa said that although a strong gas smell was present before the blast, fire officials who visited the scene indicated that the damage did not appear consistent with a gas cylinder explosion.
“… both of the gas bottles, they’re intact. No burn….there wasn’t even a fire in the house, just an explosion. But we were smelling gas strong in the house,” she said.
The woman revealed that she had bought the two bottles of Massy Gas”, some three weeks ago. She said one was almost empty, while the other was untouched.
Police have since processed the scene, and CCTV footage from the area is expected to assist with ongoing investigations. The explosion has left the family displaced and facing significant financial losses. “The whole house got to break down and build back… everything damaged…. right now, I want my husband to come back. I want him to get better, and so we can think about building back,” Melissa said.
The property also housed rental apartments and small business operations, including a car wash and a water system, all of which were destroyed. Melissa also revealed that the house is owned by her husband, and it was not insured.
In January of last year, a gas bottle explosion at Foulis, East Coast Demerara (ECD), claimed the lives of 55-year-old Basmattie Ganpat and her partner, Manu “Paul” Sukhu, and destroyed their two-storey home. Their daughter reported that the couple had smelled gas before the blast, despite the cylinder being switched off. The explosion twisted the structure of the house, ripped off sections of the roof, and left the family with millions in losses. In August 2025, Herstelling shop owner Jaiwantie Samaroo sustained third-degree burns when a cylinder exploded in her business. In November 2025, a cylinder exploded at the Better Hope home of Necolece Alexander, causing property damage and burns. In September 2025, a woman identified as Harriet Ray died following a suspected gas cylinder explosion at her home in C Field, Sophia, while another relative sustained serious injury.
In December 2025, another explosion at Little Abary severely damaged the home of Murtland Wills and Oneka Williams, with repair costs estimated at over $1.5 million.