Three buildings burnt in Sandy Babb St, Kitty arson

More than a dozen people lost their homes after a fire, suspected to have been deliberately set, ripped through three buildings, including a beer garden, located at Sandy Babb and Railway streets, Kitty, Georgetown early yesterday morning. The fire started around 1 am at Lot 11 Sandy Babb Street and quickly spread to Lot 10 and Lot 12 on either side. Residents said that although the firefighters arrived promptly on the scene, they were unable to contain the blaze due to inadequate water. There are no fire hydrants in the area. Fire Prevention Officer Andrew Holder told Stabroek News that investigators have thus far managed to obtain eyewitness accounts, which revealed that the fire was deliberately set. The suspected arsonist, he said, managed to escape and was yet to be apprehended.

According to reports gathered by this newspaper, the suspect and his brother, who together occupied an apartment in the lower flat of Lot 11, had an altercation during which the suspect allegedly threatened to kill his brother and burn the house down. He allegedly set a mattress on fire and ran away.

An early morning blaze yesterday claimed the lives of three persons at Beterverwagting (BV) and police are working on the theory that a man hacked his wife to death before setting the place afire. According to reports, around 2:30 am, fire gutted the Lot 1 BV Railway Embankment, East Coast Demerara home consuming, Leonard Pollard, 36, the mother of his child, 26-year-old Latoya Telford and their one-year-old daughter Nakasia Pollard. Police sources say several limbs were found in the remains of the fire separated from what appeared to be the torso of the woman.