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Hotel Tower owner loses $$M as home goes up in flames
There was extensive damage to the house
The West Bank Demerara home of Salim Juman Azeez, owner of Hotel Tower, was yesterday gutted in an early morning fire. The blaze, believed to be electrical in origin, left millions of dollars in losses at the three-storey home in Canal # 2.
Azeez’s son, Salim Jr., and local cricketer, Gajanand Singh, 25, were the only ones at home at the time of the blaze which was said to have started at around 03:00 hrs.
The businessman, who also owns the New Line Aqua Farms, was said to be out of the country on vacation with his family.
Neighbours said that they saw flames along the electrical wire leading to the home from a transformer on a utility pole.
Firefighters battled heavy grillwork to enter the home and were stymied by problems with the water tender that came from the city. The firemen had to resort to a small pump which at one point in time ran out of gas. Another tender later joined from the Leonora Fire Station. Water had to be taken from the nearby canal.
Police investigators on the scene said that initial reports are that two wires leading from the home “kissed”, causing a reaction at the nearby transformer on the GPL pole. This probably caused the fire seen on the wires leading back to the businessman’s home.
The entire third floor, which was protected by hurricane shutters, was gutted and the downstairs was water soaked.
Several music speakers, a few tables and large bottles of alcohol were among the few items that were recovered. The fire did not reach the northern side of the rear of the building where a pool and pool house were under construction.
Singh declined to comment on what could have caused the fire and would only say that Salim Jr. was being questioned by police.
Several of Azeez’s vehicles including two BMW sedans and an SUV were saved. The window of a white Toyota Premio had to be broken for the vehicle to be moved away from the inferno.
Neighbours said that the businessman’s son and Singh ran out the home after they were alerted to the fire and could not have saved much because of the intense heat.
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