A taxi driver who was at the Mobil Gas Station on Regent and King Streets, Georgetown, when a deadly explosion ripped through the compound on Sunday night, has shared a harrowing firsthand account of the tragedy that claimed the life of six-year-old Soraya Bourne and left several others injured.

Andre McRae, who narrowly escaped death, said he was parked at the gas station waiting on someone when the explosion occurred on Sunday night.  His quick thinking and bravery helped save the lives of several victims trapped inside a burning car.

“I was just parked there and within 10 seconds, that was it,” McRae recalled.

“I was sitting in my car… My car went about 20 feet in the air when the bomb fired off. When I catch myself, I deh up in the air and come back down in the car. I fell through the window cause the door was open and I dragged myself out.”

McRae said the explosion left the entire compound deserted as frightened bystanders fled the scene. Despite the danger, he ran toward the flames to help the injured.

“When I look around, nobody was out here… the gas station was empty. Everybody run away and left me alone,” he said.

“I used two fire extinguishers from the gas station and I went and out the fire. I support the other children from getting to the car and then I collapsed when the ambulance took me to the hospital.”

McRae described pulling several victims from the burning vehicle, including two children.

“I pulled the little guy out first, he run to me first. I take him on the side. Then I go to the girl—she fall on her face. When I pick her up, she was almost dead,” he said, visibly shaken.

“The woman run back and pick up the other child and another guy came and help them take the other people out from the cars, while I help take care of the fire.”

McRae, who sustained minor injuries, said he acted instinctively.

“I alone run into the fire,” he said. “I alone help the people take care of the fire.”

Surveillance video footage has confirmed that the suspect in Sunday night’s deadly explosion at the Mobil Gas Station on Regent and King Streets, Georgetown, was seen placing a bag suspected to contain an explosive device near the area where bottled cooking gas is stored.

The footage, now in the possession of investigators, shows the man—believed to be a Spanish-speaking foreign national—approaching the section of the compound moments before the blast. Authorities believe the bag he placed was the source of the explosion that tore through the facility shortly after 7:30 p.m.

The explosion claimed the life of six-year-old Soraya, who was seated in a parked car with her relatives when the powerful blast destroyed the vehicle and caused extensive damage to nearby structures and vehicles.

Her relatives — Jenica Hooper, Yvonne Jonas, Seddia McIntosh, and Reshard Lord — all sustained injuries and remain under medical care.

Investigators from the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) and the Guyana Fire Service continue to comb through evidence retrieved from the site, including fragments of plastic bags and adhesive materials, which are now undergoing forensic testing.

The Guyana Police Force has since released an image of the suspect, urging anyone with information on his identity or whereabouts to contact the nearest police station or call the Crime Chief’s office immediately.

Authorities have vowed to pursue the investigation “relentlessly and without delay,” describing the act as a deliberate attack that has shaken the capital.

President Dr Mohamed Irfaan Ali, who is currently overseas, has also ordered a full-scale investigation and instructed that every resource be mobilised to bring the perpetrator to justice.