Major catastrophe averted as fire erupts at Ramada Princess Hotel

A major catastrophe was averted at the Ramada Princess Hotel, Providence, East Bank Demerara (ECD), as a result of the quick response by members of the Guyana Fire Service (GFS) on Saturday evening after a fire broke out at the establishment.
The fire reportedly erupted in room 431, which is on the fourth floor of the six-storey building that has a total of 194 rooms and the casino. At the time of the fire, there were 293 adults and four children staying at the hotel.

However, smoke was seen billowing from the eastern side of the building, which triggered the fire alarm and sprinkler systems. The Fire Service was immediately alerted.
Water tenders, water carriers, a hydraulic platform, three ambulances, and firefighters from the Eccles, Diamond, Central, and West Ruimveldt Fire Stations were dispatched to the area
Under the command of Chief Fire Officer Gregory Wickham, 28 firefighting personnel went into immediate action and managed to safely evacuate all of the guests at the hotel and contain the blaze.
The recently acquired hydraulic high-rise platform was also used to rescue a number of persons who were trapped on the sixth floor of the hotel.
Nevertheless, one guest was taken to the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC) by Emergency Medical Technicians and is being treated for smoke inhalation. The Fire Service on Sunday reported that there were no serious injuries or casualties but room 431, in which the fire started, and room 435 sustained significant damage.

At about 3:10h on Sunday, the fire was completely put out. As the fire erupted, President Dr Irfaan Ali and several Cabinet members rushed to the scene to assess the situation.
An investigation is underway to ascertain the cause of the fire as Police and fire personnel remain on standby duty at the location lending additional support.