An abandoned apartment in the South Ruimveldt Shopping Plaza was on Monday morning mysteriously razed and residents of the area are suspecting arson as its cause.
According to reports, the apartment had been abandoned for a long time and therefore had no electrical connections or anyone living in it that could have accidentally lit it afire.
One eyewitness, who asked not to be named, said he had been asleep when he was awakened by the smell of smoke. The man explained he had called out to a relative, enquiring whether an iron had been left on in the home. Shortly after, he said, he heard shouts of “fire!” outside. Frantically, he got up to investigate the source of the commotion.
He was met with a great fire opposite his home. According to him, attempts to extinguish the fire were not made due to not only the lack of water in the area but also the intensity of the blaze. Instead, residents of the area were forced to watch the fire burn until the fire tender from the West Ruimveldt Fire Station arrived 10 to 15 minutes later.
Althea Tucker, 34, who lived next to the burning apartment, explained that she had been on her way home when she was called by a neighbour about the fire. Tucker, a nurse, rushed home to see whether her home had been affected. Though her home was relatively unharmed, she revealed that she had lost some clothing and electrical appliances that had been stored in the bottom flat.
“What wasn’t destroyed from the fire was destroyed by the water [from the fire truck].” she said.
When Stabroek News visited Tucker, she stated that she had just finished cleaning the soot left behind after the fire.
Though the blaze had been contained, smoke had still affected the residents, forcing several of them out of their homes. The overwhelming smell of the smoke still lingered in Tucker’s home when this newspaper was invited in to investigate the extent of the damage.
According to Tucker, she had not yet received any reports from the fire service on the cause of the blaze. Chief Fire Officer Marlon Gentle was unavailable for comment when this publication attempted to contact him to determine the cause of the fire.
