The Maritime Administration Department (MARAD) is currently investigating two recent fires: one at Parika, which destroyed several boats and heavy-duty equipment, and the other at Fairfield, Essequibo Coast wharf, which destroyed parts of a rice boat.
Several boats went up in flames at Parika this past week
Public Works Minister Juan Edghill told this publication on Friday that the MARAD is actively investigating the circumstances that led to two recent boat fires.
Earlier in that week, a fuel boat docked in the vicinity of the Parika Koker at Salem, caught on fire.
The Tuesday afternoon blaze reportedly destroyed several nearby vessels, as well as heavy-duty equipment. There has been no official report from authorities on the cause of this fire.
Then, sometime around 15:30h on Thursday, a rice boat docked at the Fairfield Wharf on the Essequibo Coast, caught on fire. According to eyewitnesses, the fire may have started in the kitchen area of the boat.
Based on reports, it is suspected that a stove was left unattended on the boat and overheated or caused a flare-up, leading to the blaze.
A nearby resident claimed that the vessel’s cook was under the influence of alcohol and may have fallen asleep while a pot was left unattended on the stove.
The cook escaped unharmed, and all items onboard were safely offloaded.
Efforts to contact MARAD officials for updates on the investigation into these two fires have been futile.
The Guyana Fire Service (GFS) has also not issued any statement on these two incidents.
