KINGSTOWN, St. Vincent – Fire fighters here were Saturday evening summoned to the Administrative Centre, which houses the Office of the Prime Minister and other government departments, to put out a fire there.
Tongues of flames and black smoke spewed out of the third floor of the building, commonly called the Financial Complex, which is located on the Reclamation Site, a few hundred metres from the Fire Department.
Reports say that the fire was contained to the third floor of the building in a section that houses the Ministry of Planning.
The Office of the Prime Minister is located on the fifth floor of the complex, which also houses the Cabinet Room, along with the ministries of Foreign Affairs, Trade, and the Treasury Department.
I Witness News was unable to ascertain the cause of the fire or the extent and value of the damage to the building.
Workers at the 20-year-old complex last year used standing fans as government officials met with contractors to discuss the scope of works to be done on the air-conditioning system, which was “at a stage where it must be replaced,” according to a Ministry of Finance official.
Meanwhile, well-placed sources say a man in Troumaca in the North Leeward constituency on Saturday chopped up his common law wife and their daughter before setting their house on fire.
Reports say that younger of the women was pulled from the house but her condition and that of her mother were not immediately known.