Arson suspected in destruction of Good Hope building

The remains of the two-storey structure

-four vehicles also burnt

Fire around midnight on Saturday destroyed a two-storey building at Good Hope, East Coast Demerara used as a storage bond for vehicles, leaving the owners of the property facing millions of dollars in losses in what is suspected to be arson.

When this newspaper visited the scene of the fire at Lot 7C, Good Hope yesterday, persons there related that the lower flat of the building housed reconditioned vehicles imported into the country by the owner of the property who is also an auto dealer. Stabroek News understands that the owner of the building resides in Canada and a relative managed the property here.

Zinc sheets lie on one of the minibuses which was destroyed by the fire
Zinc sheets lie on one of the minibuses which was destroyed by the fire

Two minibuses and two cars were destroyed by the fire and according to a neighbour the building’s electricity supply was powered by several solar panels which were mounted on its roof.

He said the cost for those pieces of equipment when added to the cost of the four vehicles and the property amounted to over $40M.

The remains of the two-storey structure
The remains of the two-storey structure

According to the police, two suspects, a woman and a man, have been taken into custody to assist with investigations into the cause of the fire.