Regent Street fire linked to electrical circuit board
Another Regent Street store is also counting losses to the tune of millions even as investigators narrow their findings to what is believed to be an illegal electrical network. The fire occurred Sunday night. The electrical circuit board was set-up to channel electricity into a “make-shift shed” next door to one of the stores.
The wooden, plastic and zinc structure was erected on the plot of land where once stood Sachi’s Variety Store. Kaieteur News reported on Tuesday that the fire had started there in the makeshift building. Investigators were also exploring the theory that a faulty electrical circuit board constructed at the location might have ignited the blaze. Tuesday, the newspaper was informed by Fire Chief, Marlon Gentle, that the Guyana Fire Service (GFS) has concluded its investigation. In the findings, Gentle said, the cause of the fire was indeed electrical. Moreover, he noted that investigators were able to link its origin directly to the circuit board.Sources close to the investigation had told Kaieteur News that the owners of the shed did not consult with City Council or the relevant authorities before setting up the circuit. According to Gentle, this has not been confirmed as yet. He said that investigators are still “trying to establish whether the process was followed or not”. The makeshift shed had been stocked with goods between Friday and Saturday. The building was expected to be opened by its owners to cash in on customers making Christmas’ purchases.
Meanwhile, Dhoray’s Fashion, next door to Sachi’s, has also suffered damage and millions in losses from the blaze which swept through the shed and destroyed another building beside it. That building housed Samtronix and Fazim’s Variety Store. Speaking with Kaieteur News, one of the proprietors of Dhoray’s Fashion, said that the fire destroyed millions worth of stocks from the store and damaged the upper flat of the building. She recalled receiving a phone call at around 20:30hrs on Sunday night informing her that there was a fire close to the store. Within ten minutes, she said, accompanied by her brother, who is the manager of the business, they arrived at the scene. “When fire fighters arrived, my brother was busy assisting in every way possible to control the blaze and prevent it from spreading to other buildings,” she said. Despite the firemen’s battle against the flames, the fire raged over to Dhoray’s. “The bottom flat is intact but the upper flat is damaged,” the businesswoman said.
(Kaieteur News)