Several businesses were engulfed in flames in a pre-dawn fire on Regent Street between Alexander and Camp streets
An early report states that an elderly man who is owner of one of the stores gutted by fire has reportedly died. The man collapsed in his building when he saw the approaching fire and had to be fetched out by his son. His son just indicated to a reporter that his father has since passed away. The man was reportedly asleep when the fire began at one of the Chinese stores on Regent Street; he was awakened by the heat and heavy smoke and collapsed as he saw what was approaching his store and building.
As more information unfolds, the Fire Chief has confirmed that the Fire began in a Chinese owned store on Regent Street and quickly spread to other buildings. Its unclear what was the cause, investigators are looking to see if it was electrical in origin or whether the Chinese nationals in their building may have been cooking. The fire is NOT related to any suspicious activity or anything else taking place in Guyana. The fire chief said they responded as soon as they got the call but there was a language barrier with the Chinese as they tried to interview them about what was taking place in their building that caused the fire.