Twelve persons including several children were displaced yesterday morning after a fire of unknown origin gutted their Plaisance, East Coast Demerara house.
Stabroek News understands that the fire started around 10.20 am at Lot 1 Graham Street, Plaisance, ECD.
Shaya Quamina and her three children occupied the upper flat of the house while construction worker Carl James, his wife Junan Holland and their six children lived in the lower flat.
The house was owned by Holland’s grandfather, Christopher Holland.
Information reaching this newspaper revealed that the fire started in a bedroom of the upper flat of the house where two of the children were reportedly playing.
The families did not managed to save anything. Among the items destroyed were cash, jewellery and appliances worth millions of dollars.
Reports are that Holland was downstairs painting and her children were with her.
They learnt about the fire after two of Quamina’s children rushed downstairs and raised an alarm. Shortly after Quamina ran out with her youngest child. As a result, Holland grabbed her children and ran for safety.
The Guyana Fire Service was summoned. However, Stabroek News understands that the fire- fighters experienced a delay in pumping water due to some mechanical issues.
An investigation has since been launched by the Guyana Fire Service to determine the cause of the fire.
