Cause of Park Hotel fire unknown - official reports Stabroek News August 15, 2000 The fire and police departments have been unable to establish the cause of the fire which razed most of the Park Hotel on May 6, sources say. Their reports to this effect have been issued, settling the liability aspect of the insurance claim by the Kissoon Group which owned the hotel. The May 6th fire was reported to have started in the lower conference room of the hotel and in a matter of seconds turned into a huge blaze which gutted most of the hotel, including the section which housed the New Thriving restaurant. Only a part of the Martin Wing remains. With the liability aspect of the fire settled, the size of the insurance settlement is being negotiated by P & P Insurance Brokers Limited. Stabroek News was told that the brokers and the insurers of the hotel are about to close negotiations on the settlement for the Kissoons. The hotel was originally insured for $425M but because part of the Martin Wing is still standing, it is expected that a settlement will be reached in the vicinity of $350M. The New Thriving Restaurant received an insurance settlement of $50M. This claim, Stabroek News was told, is simpler because the fire did not originate in the New Thriving area and the restaurant had insured the items inside. Follow the goings-on in Guyana in Guyana Today