Fire guts section of Ramada Hotel

Sep 25, 2023 News

Kaieteur News – The Guyana Fire Service (GFS) is currently investigating a fire that occurred on Saturday night at the Ramada Princess Hotel and Casino at Providence, East Bank Demerara.

A section of the hotel which was gutted by the inferno. (Credit: Ministry of Home Affairs)

The fire broke out in Room 431 on the fourth floor of the six-story building, which boasts a total of 194 rooms and features a casino on its southern side.

At the time of the incident, the hotel had 293 adults and 4 children registered as guests. The fire alarm and sprinkler systems were triggered by smoke emanating from the eastern side of the building.

GFS said it was alerted about the fire at around 22:47 hrs and the entity quickly dispatched fire units from Eccles, Diamond, Central, and West Ruimveldt fire stations. These units included water tenders, water carriers, a hydraulic platform, three ambulances, and personnel. The first unit arrived at 22:54 hrs.

Under the command of Chief Fire Officer Gregory Wickham, 28 firefighters acted swiftly to safely evacuate all hotel guests and effectively contain the blaze. They also utilized a recently acquired hydraulic high-rise platform to rescue individuals trapped on the sixth floor. Fortunately, there were no serious injuries or casualties, though one guest was treated for smoke inhalation at the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation.

Firefighting operations concluded at 03:10 hours the following day, with significant damage sustained by the room of origin and neighboring rooms 433 and 435. To extinguish the fire, two lines were utilized, drawing water from water carrier #14, water tender #116, HP #2, and an open water source.

Notably, President Irfaan Ali, Vice President Bharrat Jadgeo, along with other government officials were on the scene, providing support from around 23:00 hours until about 03:00 hours.

Investigations into the fire’s cause are currently in progress, and police and fire personnel remain on standby at the location to offer additional support.

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Notably, President Irfaan Ali, The fire alarm and sprinkler, The Guyana Fire Service, Vice President Bharrat Jadgeo, West Ruimveldt fire stations

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