Fire destroys Umana Yana

Last Updated on Tuesday, 9 September 2014, 19:43 by GxMedia

Fire late Tuesday afternoon destroyed the historic Umana Yana on High Street, Kingston, Georgetown.

Investigators believed that the fire was of electrical origin. The fire consumed the conical thatched roof structure in less than 15 minutes.

Built in 1972 for the Non Aligned Foreign Ministers Meeting, the Umana Yana (Wai-Wai for meeting place of the people) was almost 60 feet tall.

Since then several major local, regional and international meetings have been held at the Umana Yana which comes under the direct responsibility of the Ministry of Culture.