The Alberttown, Georgetown apartment building which was recently gutted by a fire that claimed the lives of two Venezuelan women was in breach of several aspects of the building code.
This was confirmed yesterday by Fire Chief Kalamadeen Edoo, who said that a report will be prepared and submitted to the relevant agencies.
The recommendations, Edoo said, will determine what action/s will be taken against the owner.
It is unclear at this point whether the owner of the building, Rishiram Jainarine, a resident of No.39 Village, Corentyne, Berbice will be subject to any form of investigation for the breaches and whether he will face any penalty.
Marialina Texidor, 25, and Maria Alejandra Patina Benjamett, 41, both died in the fire which occurred around 8.46am on Thursday at their Lot 136, Fifth Street Alberttown, Georgetown apartment. The fire is suspected to have been caused by an unattended stove.
In an invited comment yesterday, Edoo told Stabroek News that Jainarine did not adhere to the rules required by the fire department.
Apart from having one entry and exit, Edoo said there were no fire safety appliances at the building.
He noted that the entire building was heavily grilled, there were no smoke detectors or fire alarms.
Fires at both residential and commercial properties across the country occur quite often, raising questions as to whether the buildings are constructed in compliance with the building code.
At a recent Fire Advisory Board outreach, Edoo had urged business persons to construct buildings with fire safety in mind.
“You must build the capacity of your staff with the knowledge of fire protection, fire prevention and fire safety as a high priority,” he said.
“…Our advice to you is to install smoke detectors, fire extinguishers and sprinkler systems (these) are very critical to help detect and overcome any outbreak of fire in the beginning stage,” Edoo added.
As of recent, Edoo told Stabroek News that the GFS has been conducting a lot of inspections to ensure that buildings are adhering to safety rules.
Once an individual is found in breach, Edoo noted that he/she is given a specific time frame to ensure that safety measures are implemented.
Once that time expires, he said a re-visit is usually done.
According to Edoo, for businesses, failure to comply with safety rules could lead to suspension of their licence.
In terms of homes, he said the fire department would usually seek legal advice on how property owners can be sanctioned for their shortcomings.
