~Prison guard dead, prisoners escaped~
GEORGETOWN,, Guyana—A prison guard is dead following a riot that left Camp Street Prisons, in the heart of the capital city, destroyed. Up to press time efforts were still underway to put the fire out.
Apart from the reported death, several prison officers and prisoners were rushed to the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC) for treatment.
The large conflagration was battled by members of the Guyana Fire Service at the prison. The fire started in the Capital Offences wing of the prison along Durban Street and reports from the ground are that the prison’s arms store is on fire. The blaze has spread along sections of the prison along Camp Street and Bent Streets.
While it is unclear what triggered the unrest, reports are that gunshots were heard inside the prison following which smoke was spotted above the prison roof around 5:00pm (Sunday).
Unconfirmed reports are that several prisoners escaped from the prison while police and security forces are responding to the situation. There are reports of a shoot- out between the police and the escaped prisoners at Buxton, East Coast Demerara.
A building across the road from the prison along Durban Street caught afire but the blaze was extinguished by the firemen.
Reports from the scene are that prisoners are being shuttled to the GPHC for treatment while reports from the hospital are that seven prison officers are being treated for various injuries including gunshot wounds. Two prison officers were critically injured.
