Latest update April 20th, 2025 7:37 AM
Latest News
- Jagdeo downplays cost-of-living impact from 7th project
- Ghana bans foreigners from trading in its gold market to boost revenue
- Israeli bombardment of Gaza kills 92 in two days: Health Ministry
- Couple dies after gas bottle explosion at Soesdyke home
- Guyana to remain CNOOC’s main source of production growth – 2024 Annual Report reveals
Corbin says NCC a national monument : …would be a pity for someone to want to destroy it
Leader of the People’s National Congress Reform (PNCR), Robert Corbin, says that the National Cultural Centre (NCC) is a national monument from the Forbes Burnham era, and it is a pity that someone would want to destroy that building.
Corbin was responding to the attempted arson on Monday evening at NCC.
He also emphasised that he hoped it was not the case of the, “Reichstag Fire of 1933 in Germany.”
That fire was allegedly orchestrated by Adolph Hitler on the Reichstag building which housed the German Parliament. Corbin added that the National Cultural Centre is key to the development of culture in Guyana.
According to reports, smoke was seen emanating from the roof of the building at around 21:30 hours on Monday, and security quickly informed the Guyana Fire Service, which responded within minutes.
While trying to get the fire under control, firemen found a device suspected to be an incendiary device, comprising four cylinders wrapped with tape. It was in a black plastic bag in a corner of the stage.
One security guard told this newspaper that the place was not broken into, and that it appeared that someone secured himself in the building before it was closed.
According to the guard, another guard saw two men exiting the back door on the bottom floor. He added that, from all appearances, the fire started at the stage.
A fireman said it appears that someone lit the curtain from the bottom floor, and the fire spread to the upper floors.
One of the organisers of A Tribute to Mothers, Winfield James, said that it would have been a terrible damage to Carifesta if the place had gone up in flames.
He noted that the damage was limited to the curtain on the second and third floors and part of the stage.
According to him, under the stage there is a lot of padding, and the fire tenders needed to get under the stage to get to the padding.
James said that it is fortunate that the fire was doused before very severe damage could have been caused.
Simone Dowding, a performer, noted between sobs that just last night (Sunday night) she was performing on the Cultural Centre stage.
Firemen were seen ripping out the boards of the stage to get to the padding. Smoke was also emanating from under the stage. The entire building was shrouded in thick smoke.
Culture Minister Dr Frank Anthony had said that the apparent arson attempt at NCC will not stop Carifesta X that is scheduled to be held in August.
According to the minister, he does not want to speculate, and he urged Guyanese to adopt a positive frame of mind. The minister also said that he does not know if the fire was the work of arsonists.
NCC is one of the 25 sites in Georgetown slated to host key events for Carifesta X.
Similar Articles
THE BLUNT OF THE DAY
Sports
Features/Columnists
A disunited front in the face of Empire
Peeping Tom… Kaieteur News- By any rational measure of diplomacy, the worst thing the Caribbean could do at this hour—when... more
A Chance to steer U.S.–Caribbean Relations through Trade Winds and other Passing Storms
By Sir Ronald Sanders Kaieteur News- U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio has signaled a genuine willingness to hear the Caribbean... more
Weekend Cartoon
