GEORGETOWN, Guyana, Jul. 12, CMC – A probe has been launched following reports of attempted arson at the Umana Yana, a historic building in Georgetown.
Demerara Waves Online quotes the police as saying that an unidentified man was seen fleeing the scene.
“A man was seen running, then he threw an object, then the object ignited the roof. Luckily, the fire was retarded and the security there was alert and they put the fire out with the use of fire extinguishers,” the report said.
According to police reports, two small patches of the thatched roof were barely scorched and officers on duty put out the fire with fire extinguishers.
The Umana Yana, was previously destroyed by fire in September, 2014. It was later rebuilt with a few modern features including solar power and additional cooling.
The Umana Yana, is a thatched-roof building that serves as a leading centre for cultural events. The structure was originally built by the Wai Wais – the Amerindians in 1972 for the meeting of Non-Aligned Movement foreign ministers here.
The name, Umana Yana, is of Amerindian origin and means the “meeting place”. – CMC
