Fire destroys home of elderly Berbice woman 

A 73-year-old woman on Thursday morning lost her home of over 50 years to a fire believed to be electrical in origin.

Noorbee Khan, called ‘Aunty Data’, of Lot 633 Number One Road, Corentyne, Berbice, said she was taking a nap when she was awoken by neighbours shouting, ‘fire! fire!’

She said she immediately became delusional, but quickly pulled herself together and grabbed a bag containing some documents in the lower flat and ran.

“Me was in the hammock eating and like meh fall asleep and meh hear me neighbour shouting for fire; me just jump up and see the black smoke, but meh get up bazodee and I run in the house and grabbed the bag with some documents and run out; that’s all meh a save,” the distraught woman stated.

The fire reportedly started in a bedroom in the upper flat around 11:30hrs and completely destroyed the two-storey wooden and concrete house.

An eyewitness explained to the News Room that he first noticed black smoke emanating from the roof.

Despite efforts by neighbours, who formed a bucket brigade in a desperate bid to save the house, they were unsuccessful.

“I immediately start hollering out fire! So people start run and come out and all them boys through the street come with bucket to out it but it get bigger so when the brigade came they just do they work,” he said.

Khan, who lives alone, noted she was preparing to do additional construction work on her home. Prior to the fire, a truck had just delivered sand.

Her daughter explained that at around 09:30hrs she came with the men to deliver the sand and drop off lunch for her mother and by the time she arrived at her home in Canje, she received a phone call informing her of the fire.

At the fire scene, the woman was inconsolable as she stared at the rubbles.

‘Aunty Data’ was described by family and neighbours as a hard worker, who sells ice, icicle and soda to make a living.

When News Room arrived on the scene, the fire tender from Albion Estate and a unit from the Guyana Fire Service were battling the blaze.

Resident related prior to the fire there was a power outage and when the electricity return they noticed it came on with high voltage.

An investigation has been launched.