Charlestown shopkeeper and son homeless after flat goes up in flames

Landlord, Rudolph Gravesande standing in front of the refrigerator he rescued from the fire

Fire last evening gutted the upper flat of a Broad and Russell streets home rendering the tenants, a disabled shopkeeper and his 7-year-old son, homeless.

The now homeless man is Swinborn Nunes of Lot 43 Broad and Russell streets, Charlestown, Georgetown, who had been living in the apartment for 16 years at the time it went up in flames.

Divisional Commander of the Guyana Fire Service (GFS), Hemchandra Persaud said at approximately 6:29 pm the fire service received a call from the control room at Central Fire Station informing them of the fire. Immediately two tenders from Central Fire Station and one from West Ruimveldt Fire Station were dispatched to the scene. Upon arrival, the firemen engaged their efforts at extinguishing the fire using water from their tenders. Persaud noted that the firemen were able to contain the fire to the top flat and are currently investigating the cause of the fire.