The Guyana Fire Service has determined that the cause of the fire, which destroyed the Sachi General Store on Regent Street, Georgetown, on Monday, was arson.
Fire Chief Marlon Gentle told Guyana Times International on Tuesday that arson was ruled as the origin during their investigation.
Meanwhile, it is suspected that welding torches were used to break into the building, since they were discovered at the scene along with some other tools. It is believed that the steel grillwork was cut and pried open.
It was reported that the fire started at about 02:00h and would have started inside the store. A short moment after, the flames had spread to the other two stories and later engulfed the entire structure. During that time, persons within the vicinity reportedly heard a loud explosion which triggered a response.
The Guyana Fire Service (GFS) was immediately called to the scene and deployed its resources to tackle the blaze. While adjacent buildings in close proximity were spared, they suffered significant water, heat and smoke damages.
Six hours later, firefighters were still at the scene evaluating the incident and dousing small patches of flames. The section between Wellington Street and Camp Street which housed the structure was cordoned off to vehicular traffic as employees and passersby stood in disbelief.
The operators of the buildings were still trying to peg their losses, estimated in the millions. When asked if there were any electrical issues in the building, the response was in the negative.
It had been just under one year since the operators would have shifted to this store from a location just next door on Regent Street, which employed 16 persons.
Sachi General Store primarily operated from the ground floor while the two other flats were used for storage. After rummaging through the rubble, nothing was saved from the tragic incident. In fact, the only thing standing was the steel structure covered in broken glass and charred articles.
The Guyana Police Force was also called in to assist with the investigations. Meanwhile, on Tuesday, a number of persons descended on the building, looting and searching through the debris to salvage items.
