8-month-old among two who perish in early morning fires

The Guyana Fire Service (GFS) is investigating the circumstances surrounding the death of an 8-month-old child and a 59-year-old man who perished in separate early morning fires.

One of the homes went up in flames at Kaneville Housing Scheme and another at Section ‘A’ Diamond, E.B.D between 2 am and 3 am on Monday, January 23, 2017.

When the smoke faded, it was revealed that two persons were killed and fifteen others are now homeless.

Dead is 8-month-old Romaine Sette of Kaneville Housing Scheme and Thakur Singh, 59 years old of Lot 795 Block X Section ‘A’ Diamond, E.B.D. At Kaneville, relatives said the fire started around 2:30 hrs.

At Kaneville, where Sette resided with his mother and other siblings, relatives said the fire started around 2:30 hrs.

“This morning, around like 2 ‘o’ clock, after I had a bad dream and I got up, I feel the heat and when I got at the window and I see my aunt house is on fire. I shout for everyone in the house, my brother and a boy named Randy, they took water from the tank there and they out the fire. Then after, my sister-in-law call for the fire reel…” a teenage cousin of the now dead eight-month-old baby boy, told News Room.

The girl who resides next door, added that “we asked them ‘where is the baby?’ and they say the baby couldn’t be saved because…the fire (spread to the bed) directly where the baby was sleeping so the baby burn to death first.”

Over at Diamond, relatives of the now dead Thakur Singh, refuted claims that the fire which claimed the life of the 59-year-old man was the product of arson.

His nephew who resided with his family in the upper flat of the building, told the News Room that “Around 3 ‘O’ clock this morning, I wake up hearing some noise and when I open the door, smoke engulfed the whole house. Immediately I called for my son and daughter and they come out and I try come downstairs to see if is a small fire or something to see if ah cud extinguish it. But when ah come and go to the garage deh, the fire was big.”

The man explained that his daughter and wife were also trapped in the building and he was forced to head back into the building to ensure that they were brought to safety. “Everybody come out except ma uncle, he was living in the garage, don’t know if he leff on something or suh,” he said.

They had to jump several feet into the yard to safety. One vehicle which was also in the yard was scorched while another was damaged.

This is the second fire within one month to have claimed the lives of children and the third by which occupants were burnt to death.