A swift response by the Guyana Fire Service yesterday morning averted a major disaster at the Guyana National Shipping Corporation Limited (GNSC) at Lombard Street, Georgetown.
The fire which started at around 8.10 am destroyed the shipping corporation’s workshop at Lot 5-6 Lombard Street, Georgetown.
An investigation has been launched to determine the circumstances surrounding the fire.
According to the GFS, Water Tenders from the Central, Alberttown and West Ruimveldt Fire Stations along with Fire Boat ‘Protector 8’ were immediately dispatched to the scene of the fire.
Three jets working from Water Tender 107 using a relay from the Fire Boat, one jet from WT106 and one jet from WT76 using a relay from WT112, all working from an open water source were used to extinguish the blaze.
At the scene, firefighters made efforts to save the workshop and gear room but it was completely consumed by the flames. Their efforts did not go in vain as they managed to prevent the fire from spreading to other areas.
Two Sundays ago, two bonds at the Guyana National Industrial Company located next door to GNSC, were destroyed in a fire. Controversy surrounds the origin of that fire.
The GFS yesterday said that the Fire Prevention Department is slated to conduct a Fire Prevention inspection later this week with GNSC. This is being done with the aim of putting ample passive and active fire suppression systems in place to prevent and reduce the outbreak of fires at these facilities.
The Guyana Fire Service repeated its call for the appropriate fire prevention and response measures to be put in place to avoid the loss of private and public buildings and to avoid the risk of injury and loss of life.
