A midmorning fire has gutted an unoccupied house at Diamond New Housing Scheme, East Bank Demerara, but mystery surrounds the blaze, as relatives of the owner were reportedly informed by an unknown caller about the incident.
Relatives of the owner at the scene moments after the blaze
Reports are about 09:15h on Wednesday, neighbours saw smoke coming from the Lot 1819 Section C Diamond house. Firefighters arrived at the scene some 45 minutes later, but by then the inside of the house was significantly scorched. The blaze eventually caused millions of dollars in losses.
The owner of the flat concrete house was not available to speak to this publication, but relatives present, who were assessing the damage, explained that the house has been unoccupied for the past few weeks. A female relative indicated that she received a call from a private number informing her that the house was burning down.
The family members added that they were unsure as to what could have caused the fire, and noted that they never had electrical issues when they lived there. Technicians from the Guyana Power and Light Inc were on site, inspecting the electricity meter and making other checks around the premises.
Neighbours who gathered recalled hearing explosions coming from inside the house before the roof went up in flames. Additionally, a gas bottle which appeared to be leaking was seen lying in a trench in front of the home, moments after firefighters had contained the blaze.
Members of the Guyana Fire Service and the Guyana Police Force are conducting their investigations.
