RANKS of the Guyana Fire Service (GFS) were yesterday continuing their investigations into the Berbice incident, in which a Chinese woman was saved from a fiery death.
The rescued married woman was asleep in the upper flat of the two-storey building, at Lot 23 North Public Road, Belvedere, Corentyne, when it became engulfed in flames shortly after 07:30 hrs on Sunday. The place housed Double Wing Restaurant and Guyana Stockfeed retail outlet as well as the home of the woman and her husband.
Alert neighbours observed smoke emanating from the edifice and raised an alarm, alerting Chandradatt Kubeer called ‘Ravi’, who had, minutes earlier, opened the adjoining stockfeed business.
Kubeer relating the episode to the Guyana Chronicle said, knowing that the woman was alone, after seeing her husband leave for the market, he, in company with a  neighbour, mounted the shed extending around the building and gained access into her bedroom, by removing the grillwork and window and lifted the sleeping woman to safety outside, with slight injuries to her thigh.
After the rescue, Kubeer telephoned his employer, Kemraj Sukdeo , who lives two villages away.
Sukdeo said, on arriving at the scene, although a tender from the GFS was in attendance, much could not be done as the village is reportedly without a hydrant.
“Water was not available. So, with the breeze blowing in an clockwise direction, the fire spread until, another tender from Guyana Sugar Corporation came and assisted, quelling the flames 45 minutes later,” Sukdeo explained.
He said the GFS had to be recalled at 14:55 hrs as the flames rekindled.
Sukdeo, who had rented his premises for the past twelve years from overseas-based Bazil Kalamootoo, was unable to estimate his loss but noted that, while he saved some bags of poultry feed, much was destroyed as the polythene bags melted while the remainder were water soaked.
He said he also lost receipts for purchases and other documents which are essential to the Guyana Revenue Authority.
Meanwhile, the Chinese restaurateur, who is known as ‘Wing’, returned to the scene after the blaze had been minimised but, later, left with his wife for an unknown destination.