FAULTY electrical wiring is said to be the cause of a fire that destroyed a flat, wooden and concrete house at Lot 35 Public Road, Agricola, East Bank Demerara, on Friday afternoon, leaving eight persons homeless.

The Guyana Fire Service reported that a call was received at 14:50 hours and water tenders from the Eccles and Diamond fire stations were immediately dispatched to the location.

The structure was owned by 29-year-old Bibi Mohamed and occupied by herself and her family of seven.

At the end of the fire, the building and its contents were completely destroyed, the Fire Service noted in a press release.

“The fire was the result of faulty electrical wiring resulting in arcing and sparking, which ignited nearby combustible materials and spread to the entire house,” the released noted.

Also affected by the blaze were three other houses at the same location, also owned by Mohamed.

Due to radiated heat from the building of origin, 20 feet of an outer concrete wall, 10 feet of wooden ceiling, a quantity of clothing, window panes, and books were destroyed, while a quantity of PVC pipes and guttering were severely damaged.