Fire destroys several boats used as water taxis in Guyana
The Guyana Fire Service is investigating a fire which destroyed over a dozen boats at the Vreed-en-Hoop Stelling in West Coast Demerara.
The fire service says it was informed about the fire around 1:49 this morning. A water tender and crew from the La Grange Fire Station, a fire boat Protector and staff were immediately dispatched to the scene.
When firefighters arrived, they discovered several boats on fire.
It says 19 vessels were involved in the fire, and by the time it was extinguished, 13 of them were destroyed, while six were slightly damaged.
According to the police, inquiries revealed that the fire started from the rear end of a vessel docked on the southern side of the Vreed-en-Hoop stelling, which quickly erupted and spread to other nearby ships on the southern side of the river, destroying those vessels.
Several persons were questioned, including a watchman for the vessel where the fire started. He was later placed into custody at the Vreed-En-Hoop Police Outpost and is assisting with the investigation.
The purported cause of the fire is undetermined and requires further investigation by Fire Prevention officers.
Three jets working from the water tender via an open water source and three jets from the fire boat Protector were used to extinguish the fire.
Loop News understands the boats are used by private operators to transport passengers across the Demerara River.
0 Comment