Fire destroys 13 passenger speed boats at Vreed-en-Hoop stelling

Last Updated on Tuesday, 1 August 2023, 12:36 by Denis Chabrol

An early Tuesday morning fire destroyed 13 passenger speed boats and slightly damaged six others at the Vreed-en-Hoop Stelling, West Coast Demerara, the Guyana Fire Service (GFS) said.

“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 GFS said.

The fire department said it received a call at 1:49 AM and immediately a water tender and crew from the La Grange Fire Station, along with fire boat Protector #8 and crew, were dispatched to the scene.

“When firefighters arrived, they discovered several boats on fire,” the fire service said in a statement.

The cause of the fire was still being investigated, but the fire service said police informed that the blaze started from the rear end of a vessel that was docked on the southern side of the Vreed-en-Hoop stelling.

The fire department said the fire quickly erupted and spread to other nearby vessels on the southern side of the river, destroying those vessels. “The purported cause of the fire is undetermined at this time and requires further investigation by our Fire Prevention officers,” the GFS said.