Fire destroys section of Guyana Stores

Oct 20, 2022 News

Kaieteur News – It took the Guyana Fire Service (GFS) some five hours to contain and fully extinguished an early morning fire on Wednesday that destroyed the eastern section of Guyana Stores Limited located on Church and Main Streets Georgetown.

Firefighters battling the flames during the wee hours of Wednesday Morning.

Guyana Stores is a popular department store with a building complex that stretches from Water Street to Church and Main Streets. The blaze that destroyed the eastern section erupted after 01:00hrs. That section of the store reportedly sells household appliances, ornaments, gym equipment, cutlery and furniture. According to GFS it had received the call around 01:29Hrs about the fire.

Kaieteur News understands that persons around the area at the time had noticed smoke emanating top floor of the two-story building facing Main Street’s end and decided to alert GFS. Four fire trucks from the GFS were dispatched to the scene immediately from the Central, Alberttown, West Ruimveldt and Campbellville Fire Stations.

Firefighters making sure that the fire was fully extinguished around 06:00hrs.

Reports from eyewitnesses and even cell phone videos that circulated on the various social media platforms suggested that it was just a small blaze but as the fire fighters battled to quell the flames, it gave them a challenge and began to spread. Within minutes the entire top floor of that side of the building was engulfed in flames. Fire fighters continued to battle for hours and eventually managed to contain it from spreading to other sections of the building. Minister of Home Affairs, Robeson Benn was also on the ground with the Fire Chief directing proceedings and giving advice on how best to extinguish the flames quickly.

At 06:00hrs, the Fire Fighters were still working to make sure that the blaze was completely extinguished. The GFS related in its statement that both the ground and top floor of the eastern section were severely damaged as a result of the fire. Its origin however, is still unknown at this time and Fire Investigators are still conducting the necessary investigations to determine the cause of the blaze. The cost of the damage is reportedly still being assessed. Guyana Stores Limited is owned by local businessman Toney Yassin who presently resides in the United States of America (USA).

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