A massive fire broke out around noon on Wednesday at Puruni Landing, Region Seven, destroying several buildings and vehicles.
The fire is believed to have started at the Red Belly Hotel and spread to three nearby buildings.
The News Room understands that the hotel yard also housed a gas station, restaurant, and shop, all of which were completely gutted.
“They were throwing gas through a pump and something caught fire,” an eyewitness told the News Room.
He said that everyone jumped into action and began pumping water from the Mazaruni River, but their efforts were in vain.
The eyewitness further told the News Room that two persons, a man and a woman are unaccounted for. He said there were unconfirmed reports that they were trapped in their room when the fire started.
In addition to the buildings, two trucks and four boats were also destroyed.
“The building is not just a hotel; they also sell fuel. The gas station where the fuel is stored is in the yard. How the fire spread so fast, we couldn’t move the trucks,” the eyewitness explained.
People in the area are still battling the fire by pumping water from the Mazaruni Creek and a nearby well.
When contacted, Fire Chief Gregory Wickham confirmed that a team from the Bartica Fire Station had been dispatched to the scene.
