A fire of unknown origin has completely gutted the Little Diamond/Herstelling Neighbourhood Democratic Council (NDC) office in the wee hours of Tuesday.

Chairman Puneet Jaigopaul said he believes the fire may have started in the storage area beneath the building, where fuel, cleaning agents, weeding machines, and other maintenance equipment were stored. While the blaze reportedly destroyed much of the council’s operational equipment used for community maintenance and public works, all administrative records were preserved and no critical documents were lost. According to information received, firefighters responded promptly and were able to contain the blaze to one building. Nevertheless, Providence Nursery School, which is located behind the NDC office, sustained minor damage. Following the fire, Local Government and Regional Development Minister Priya Manickchand led a team to the area where she met with first responders and affected stakeholders. There, she assured residents that critical services, including the distribution of the ‘Because We Care’ cash grant, would not be disrupted. “It’s not safe for you to be in school because of the loose zinc sheets and flying debris. School closes this weekend, so you won’t be returning for the rest of the week. As for the cash grant distribution scheduled for Friday, it will be done in this NDC building,” she stated. The Minister also expressed gratitude to a security guard who initially attempted to save the burning building before firefighters arrived. She further thanked members of the Guyana Fire Service (GFS) for their dedication and professionalism, commending them for responding to emergencies even while most of the country was asleep.

Further, she praised both the men and women of the service for consistently demonstrating commitment, intensity and professionalism in carrying out their duties. “I want to thank you for that kind of commitment. I want to thank you for your interest in this country that we see every day. Often, we hear about what more we can do, and there’s always room for improvement, and I recognise that, and I’m sure you do too. But this is the beautiful part of us that we don’t always get to see because we don’t always have tragedy, thank God. I want to thank you, especially from President Ali, the entire Cabinet and everybody here. Thank you for trying to save this building. Our safety must always come first, but you embody what I know Guyanese need to be people who will always look out for our properties and look out for our people,” Manickchand stated. Addressing the security guard directly, she added: “I’m sure what was going through your head was the damage that was happening here, so thank you. Thank you very much for your service last night. We will be in touch.” Meanwhile, investigations are ongoing to determine the cause of the fire.