A fire of so far unknown origin has completely gutted a D’Urban Street, Werk-en-Rust home. The sole occupant was identified as Eldon Gaskin by the neighbours.
A visit to the scene by Stabroek News saw the one flat building completely gutted, with damage to three nearby buildings. One of the damaged buildings is said to belong to a woman who only travelled to the United states on Wednesday morning.
A weeping pensioner who lives in a house behind the now destroyed home, said, “I don’t know what happen. I didn’t even have breakfast or anything to eat for the day. I’m too weak. Because I don’t know it could have been worse. I open my door and I see the fire on this house.
“So, I run outside and I start shouting fire! fire! A guy come and he help me jump the back fence to come out and go over in another yard. I don’t know what really took place. Imagine big me got to climb fence. You know how traumatized I am? Big me a pensioner.”
She said she did not have any idea what might have caused the fire, but she knew that the owner of the building, who she assumed is also a pensioner, was at home.
Another resident who lives in front of the destroyed building stated that the owner did escape, but sustained burns to his leg and was rushed to the hospital by an ambulance.
One of the damaged homes was said to be recently repaired.
When Stabroek News arrived shortly after 3 pm, representatives from the Ministry of Human Services and Social Security were there asking for the whereabouts of the owner of the burnt property and stating that they usually provide aid in such situations and psychosocial support.
A release from the fire service stated that “at approximately 09:16 hrs…, the Guyana Fire Service responded to a call of a house on fire at the corner of D’Urban and Palm Street, Georgetown. Firefighters extinguished the fire, and prevented it from spreading to other nearby buildings”.
