By Tiana Cole | HGP Nightly News |
Millions of dollars in household appliances and furniture were destroyed on Thursday afternoon after a massive fire completely gutted a two-storey storage bond linked to the 401 Furniture Store.
The blaze erupted at approximately 1:00 p.m. at Lot 40, South Mon Repos, East Bank Demerara. When this newscast arrived on the scene, several police ranks and two fire tenders were actively engaged in battling the inferno, as residents and onlookers gathered nearby.
Despite the efforts of firefighters, the flames ultimately consumed the entire building, destroying large quantities of mattresses, chairs, and other household furniture stored inside. Fire officials, however, were able to prevent the blaze from spreading to neighbouring homes, averting what could have been a far more devastating outcome.
Owner of the business, Nazim Khan, told the media that earlier in the day workers had visited the bond to clean and clear the premises following the holiday period. According to information relayed to him, the workers encountered a beehive on the property and may have attempted to smoke out the bees.
Khan explained that while he is awaiting the official report from the Guyana Fire Service, he does not believe the workers intentionally caused the fire, noting that they were not equipped with proper fire safety tools such as extinguishers.
His daughter, Saudia Khan, said the storage bond has been in operation since 2019 and that workers were specifically hired on Thursday to clear vegetation at the front of the building. She confirmed that during the clearing exercise, a beehive was discovered and an attempt was reportedly made to remove it.
“We are only sharing the information that has been passed on to us,” she said, adding that the family does not yet have confirmed details of exactly how the fire started.
Investigations into the cause of the fire are ongoing. Authorities are expected to issue official reports once examinations by the fire service and police are completed.
HGPTV will continue to monitor the situation and provide updates as more information becomes available.
