A city businessman is now counting his losses after a fire razed the upper flat of his four-storey premises on Robb Street, Georgetown on Friday morning.
According to A Division (Georgetown-East Bank Demerara) Commander, Clifton Hicken, the fire started just around 09:00h on Robb Street, between Camp and Alexander Streets.
He noted that the area was immediately cordoned off so as to allow the Guyana Fire Service the necessary space to extinguish the fire.
Fire Fighters trying to contain the blaze in the upper flat of the burning building
Speaking with Guyana Times, the owner of a nearby business, Jab Rahaman, related that three men were using a welding machine on the upper flat of the four-storey building at the time when the fire started. This newspaper was told that the generator which was being used to power the machine suffered a short circuit and burst into flames.
However, Rahaman stated that instead of extinguishing the fire, the three men who were reportedly working, ran away from the scene.
“When the smoke start come through the ceiling then everybody get to understand is a fire, then I get a call and I came down,” he said, while noting that upon arrival, he immediately turned off the power in his business.
Up to Friday afternoon, the three men who were allegedly present when the fire began have not yet been identified. Also present at the scene was Public Security Minister Khemraj Ramjattan. There were no reported injuries.
