Latest update December 21st, 2024 1:52 AM
Happy Acres building razed following massive explosion
It was pandemonium in the usually peaceful neighbourhood of Happy Acres after an earth shaking explosion left one building being completely engulfed in flames. 
The explosion all but obliterated the top floor of the two storey building with fire swallowing up the East Coast Demerara community premises. Fortunately, no one was injured or left homeless as the Lot 167 dwelling had been abandoned for some years now.
According to residents of the community, it was a normal Saturday evening when suddenly a loud blast shook their homes, shortly after 21:00hrs, and shards of glass could be heard shattering onto the street. The blast quickly alerted residents as far as the neighbouring community, Atlantic Gardens, with fire service ranks arriving at the scene moments after.
However, the inferno proved to be too much for one fire truck to handle, with the firemen calling for another backup fire truck to tame the blaze. They were eventually able to control the fire as residents gathered some distance away from the scene.
The cause of the fire could not be confirmed up to press time, but residents in the area believe that it was not electrical in nature.
One neighbour she had smelt gasoline shortly before the explosion occured. As residents gathered around the scene some noted that there was whiff of gasoline in the air as firefighters did what they could to contain the fire.
The building was once a residential home, but had recently been utilised as a storage unit for new owners of the premises. It was estimated to cost over $30M.
But while the building was typically used for storage purposes, residents commented that in recent days they had noticed an unusual amount of movement around the unit.
Others commented that it was a miracle that no one was injured, as the premises is regularly watched over by a security guard.
This news paper understands that said security guard had not been seen on the premises for a number of days.
Meanwhile, Kaieteur News understands that the building was one of the very first homes to be built in the community’s decade’s old history. It was built in a style that not many residents were used to seeing in the neighbourhood.
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