Tiger Bay’s West End Centre gutted by fire

Last Updated on Monday, 13 July 2015, 22:19 by GxMedia

Left to Right: Fire Chief Marlon Gentle, Public Security Minister Khemraj Ramjattan and Police Officer Anthony Vanderhyden at the scene of the fire.

Fire of unknown origin Monday afternoon gutted the West End Youth Culture Centre in Tiger Bay, bring to four the number of fires for the day.

No one was injured in the blaze at the Centre. The back of the lower flat was occupied by two customs brokers as their office space.

The almost 50-year old building once housed a gym. In more recent times, sewing and other classes were held at the top flat of the wooden structure.

Fire Chief Marlon Gentle said investigators have so far learnt that the fire started shortly after a man was seen leaving the building. “Based on my investigators, someone was seen coming out of the building and then they saw fire so we are still investigating. I can’t say exactly what caused the fire but we are dealing with it with some degree of suspicion,” Gentle told reporters.

He said five persons were left homeless at Zeelugt, West Coast Demerara. There, he said a domestic dispute was believed to have been the origin of that blaze.

At Crane, West Bank Demerara, fire of electrical origin destroyed a two-flat house where an elderly woman resided.

Up to late Monday afternoon, there was also another fire at Melanie Damishana, East Coast Demerara.