Latest update April 16th, 2026 12:40 AM
Police probe suspected arson of Lethem truck
For years, Ghildarry Chanderpaul was parking his Leyland DAF truck on the Tabatinga Public Road in front of his yard at Lethem, and Monday, last, was no different.
On that afternoon around 16:00 hours he parked the truck and went into his house feeling assured that all was well.
But around 03:00 hours yesterday he was rudely awakened by crackling sounds and the distinct smell of something burning. He also saw a bright light outside his window.
Upon checking, Chanderpaul got the shock of his life when he saw that the cabin of his truck was completely engulfed in flames. There was nothing he or his neighbours could do but just watch as the fire consumed the truck’s cabin until it eventually subsided.
By this time, though, ranks from a police mobile patrol unit had arrived on the scene and expressed surprise that the truck, which is used to transport goods and material from the city to Lethem, had been burnt, since they claimed that they had passed the area only five minutes prior to the time the blaze was said to have started.
Chanderpaul believes that someone threw gasoline into the truck’s cabin and set it alight since according to him the truck had been completely shut off and there were no electrical problems that he knew about.
He could not say why someone would want to destroy his truck since he had no known enemies.
However, police are working on the theory that the suspected arson might have stemmed from an accident involving Chanderpaul’s brother, a few years ago, in which the life of a resident of Lethem was lost.
The destroyed cabin
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