The Umana Yana, the historic benab that served as a leading centre for cultural events in the city, which was destroyed by fire on September 9, was up to date in its state of fire preparedness, according to Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sport, Alfred King.
King said that the building, like all other public buildings is inspected on a yearly basis, and extra emphasis is placed on those buildings utilised frequently by members of the public. He added that his ministry is always on top of the inspections conducted by the Guyana Fire Service (GFS) and the Umana Yana had 6 fully functioning fire extinguishers that were recently upgraded.
King said the Fire Service has not yet made a conclusive statement on the cause of the fire, but reminded that