THE China Star Supermarket located at Commercial Zone Lethem, Region Nine, was on Saturday last destroyed by fire.

The Guyana Fire Service (GFS) said the fire started around 20:15hrs; firefighters noticed smoke and flames emanating from the building.

The wooden and concrete building housed two floors. It was operated as a general store and served as the living quarters of Wuumo Cheng and Wuujian Giun, a release from the GFS said.

According to the fire service, one water tender and crew from the Lethem Fire Station, along with additional firefighters responded to the scene and with the use of a pressurised fire hydrant, they were able to extinguish the fire and save several buildings in proximity to the supermarket.

The supermarket was however destroyed, leaving two persons homeless and more than 10 out of jobs.

Home Affairs Minister Robeson Benn, Chief Fire Officer Gregory Wickham and a team of investigators visited the location to assess the damage and investigate the cause of the fire.

The fire service team met with the Mayor of Lethem and the operators of the supermarket to discuss the way forward and how to prevent recurrence of such losses in the future.

It was noted that the issue of certification of buildings in the commercial area, to ensure that they are in keeping with the building codes, will be addressed. The fire service said the design of the supermarket and materials used in its construction hampered firefighters from gaining access to the building.